Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a life-threatening illness and one of the fastest-growing cancer types in the United States. There are two kinds of liver cancer: primary and secondary. Primary cancer starts in your liver. Secondary cancer spreads to your liver from another part of your body. This article is an overview of primary liver cancer.

Like many kinds of cancer, healthcare providers can do more to treat liver cancer during the disease’s early stage. Unlike many kinds of cancer, healthcare providers have a good idea of what increases someone’s risk of developing liver cancer. With that in mind, healthcare providers are intent on identifying who may be at increased risk so they can catch and treat primary liver cancer as early as possible.

Is liver cancer a common disease?

No, it’s not common, but liver cancer cases are steadily increasing. Healthcare providers estimate about 1% of all men and women in the United States will be diagnosed with a form of liver cancer during their lifetime.

There are three kinds of primary liver cancer:

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC): This is the most common form of liver cancer, representing nearly all liver cancer cases.
• Intrahepatic cancer (IHC): This is a form of cholangiocarcinoma. IHC is cancer in your liver’s bile ducts. It represents about 10% to 20% of all primary liver cancer cases.
• Angiosarcoma: This type is very rare, representing about 1% of all primary liver cancer cases. This cancer begins in the lining of blood cells in your liver. (Angiosarcoma may also affect other organs.)

Overall, HCC and IHC represent about 2% of all new estimated cancer cases in the United States, and 5% of all new cancer deaths. Healthcare providers often diagnose and treat HCC and IHC the same way.

Who’s affected by liver cancer?

HCC and IHC affect more men than women and are most often diagnosed between the ages of 55 and 64. People whose race includes Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic or American Indian/Alaskan Indian are more likely to develop primary liver cancer than people who are Black or white.

How does liver cancer affect my body?

Your liver is the largest organ in your body, helping you digest your food. It’s also one of the most important organs, as no one can live without their liver. Some of the essential tasks your liver manages include:

• Collects and filters blood flowing from your intestines.
• Processes and stores nutrients that your intestines absorb.
• Changes some nutrients into energy or substances that your body needs to build tissue.
• Makes bile, a fluid that helps digest fat.
• Digests and stores other nutrients from food like sugar, which makes energy.
• Makes substances that help your blood to clot.