Benign tumors of the liver are frequent and no cause for concern.  In a cirrhotic liver there is a risk of hepatocellular cancer.

Modern imaging procedures such as CT, MRT and ultrasound lead to frequently to incidental detection of tumors or 'spots'. Most often, this is due to benign lesions such as hemangiomatas or liver cysts. In this case, we recommend consulting an experienced hepatologist who can remove any doubts and avoid useless follow-up examinations.

MR, in T1 the tumor is a black hole	In T2 it lights up	After contrast, the tumor 'blushes'. You also see liver vessels

The situation is a bit different for patients with liver cirrhosis. They have small, but measurable risk to develop hepatocellular cancer (HCC). If you have cirrhosis, your physician will advise you about prophylactic examinations. These are of paramount importance since the only chance of cure is when the cancer is detected early. A case in point is the following patient: A  46 y/o woman with known hepatitis C all of a sudden showed an elevated a-Fetoprotein (a tumor marker for HCC). Imaging showed a suspicious lesion which was surgically removed. As of today, the patient has lived for 15 years without evidence of recurrence.

Round 'thingie' below the liver	Tumor is completely removed surgically	Typical HCC