Liver Cancer

Primary liver cancer is a disease that occurs when malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the liver. Most primary liver cancers begin in hepatocytes (liver cells). This type of cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma or malignant hepatoma.

In advanced cases, liver cancer cells may invade surrounding tissues or spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body via the blood stream or lymph system.

It's common for other types of cancer to spread (metastasize) to the liver from other parts of the body. When this happens, the disease is not liver cancer. Instead, the cancer in the liver is named for the organ or the tissue in which it began. For example, colon cancer that spreads to the liver is metastatic colon cancer. It is not liver cancer.

In the United States, metastatic cancer in the liver is far more common than primary liver cancer.

It is estimated that 30,640* people in the United States will be diagnosed with liver cancer (including intrahepatic bile duct cancers) in 2013. More than 80 percent of these cases are primary liver (hepatocellular) cancer.

Treatment options for liver cancer vary depending on the stage of the disease, previous treatment, and other medical conditions. Talk with your doctor about what treatment options may be available for you.

*American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures 2013. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2013

Liver Cancer Clinical Trials

The NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR) conducts clinical trials at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. CCR is currently conducting the following trials for patients with liver cancer. Click on the trials below for additional details, including a summary of key eligibility criteria, study outline, and information on how to contact the principal investigators and their staff directly. For information on a particular trial or to discuss a screening visit, contact a member of the research team listed on the trial’s summary.

If you need further assistance, call our toll-free number at 1-888-NCI-1937 (1-888-624-1937) to be connected to a referral coordinator appropriate for your diagnosis.