It started off as cancer of the liver but it spread to other areas of the body.

spread 是动词 spread 的过去式，spread 的意思是"扩散、蔓延"，指疾病或影响从一个地方扩展到其他区域。在医学语境中常用来描述癌细胞从原发部位向其他组织转移的过程。