Skip to main content
ASK AN EXPERT
Got a question about a health story in the news or a health topic? Here's your chance to get an answer. Send us your questions about general health topics, diet and fitness and mental health. If your question is chosen, it could be featured on CNN.com's health page with an answer from one of our health experts, or by a participant in the CNNhealth community.




* CNN encourages you to contribute a question. By submitting a question, you agree to the following terms found below.
You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. By submitting your question, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your questions(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statment.
Thank you for your question!

It will be reviewed and considered for posting on CNNHealth.com. Questions and comments are moderated by CNN and will not appear until after they have been reviewed and approved. Unfortunately, because of the voume of questions we receive, not all can be posted.

Submit another question or Go back to CNNHealth.com

Read answers from our experts: Living Well | Diet & Fitness | Mental Health | Conditions

Expert Q&A

Are liver cysts a sign of cancer?

Asked by Scott, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Open quote
Close quote

Are cysts on the liver necessarily cancerous?

Expert Bio Picture

Conditions Expert Dr. Otis Brawley Chief Medical Officer,
American Cancer Society

Expert answer

Dear Scott: The quick answer to your question is no. There are many non-cancer-related causes of cystic masses in the liver. Indeed, simple liver cysts are almost always asymptomatic and found incidentally during routine testing for something else. These masses are not cancerous and not even dangerous.

Simple cysts of the liver contain fluid. This can be seen on liver imaging with ultrasound or CT scanning. They are found in about 1 percent of adults and are more common in women than men. They are usually a few millimeters in size. Very rarely, they can be large and need to be treated because of size and the discomfort they cause.

Physical examination, blood studies and ultrasound findings are usually sufficient to distinguish simple cysts from other less-common lesions that can appear cystic. Occasionally, a CT scan is needed to make the distinction, and rarely a needle biopsy or surgical resection is done to make the diagnosis.

Lesions that can look like simple cysts include a liver abscess; a cancerous tumor with a necrotic or dead liquid center; and a hemangioma, which is a benign collection of blood vessels, which can look like cancer. A cystadenoma is a benign cystic lesion that is rarely found. It is treated with surgical removal, as it can progress to a cancer called cystadenocarcinoma.

Polycystic liver disease is a condition of multiple benign liver cysts. It occurs in some patients with polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney disease is a disease of multiple simple cysts of the kidney. It tends to be inherited. These lesions are watched and not usually treated.

The most interesting liver cysts I have personally seen were a series of hydatid cysts caused by the Echinococcus. The Echinococcus is a parasite. Humans acquire it from exposure to the feces of infected dogs or sheep. These cysts have to be surgically removed in an operation in which the surgeon has to be careful not to spread the disease. Hydatid cysts of the liver are uncommonly encountered in the United States.

Note: The above discusses cystic lesions of the liver. There are a number of solid lesions that can be found in the liver. The liver is a common site for the spread of colon, breast and lung cancer. These lesions are usually solid and rarely cystic. Patients will have probably been diagnosed with their cancer before the lesions are seen in the liver. Nodular liver non-cancerous diseases with solid masses are also common. They can be due to alcoholic liver disease, rheumatologic diseases and other causes.

More Q&A

  • CNN's Medical UnitCNN's medical unit brings you the best experts available to answer your questions about current events and health issues that matter most to you.
Is secondhand smoke really that risky?asked by: Asked by David; Tampa, Florida
Can a nerve stimulator stop my back pain?asked by: Asked by Larry; New York
Is the inability of cancer patients to eat a concern?asked by: Steve Snodgrass; Bowling Green, Kentucky

CNN Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNN Privacy Statement.

The information contained on this page does not and is not intended to convey medical advice. CNN is not responsible for any actions or inaction on your part based on the information that is presented here. Please consult a physician or medical professional for personal medical advice or treatment.