Liver cancer, gross specimen. Multiple white tumours resulting from secondary liver cancer, metastasized from carcinoma of the lung. Metastasis is the transfer of disease from one organ or part to another not directly connected with it. All malignant tumours have the capacity to metastasize. The commonest malignant growths found in the liver do in fact arise from cancers in other organs. Once the cancer has spread beyond its site of origin, the prognosis is poor.