Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

If you've been diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma, one of the first things you might wonder about is the survival rate for this type of cancer. Survival rates come from following a large group of people with the same diagnosis for a set amount of time. Cancer survival rates often state what percentage of that group is still living five years after a cancer diagnosis.

The U.S. National Cancer Institute gives survival rates for all liver cancers together. These rates include people with hepatocellular carcinoma and also those with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, which is cancer that happens in the bile ducts inside the liver. Using this data, the survival rates are given by the extent of the cancer.

• Localized liver cancer, which means the cancer is only in the liver, has a five-year survival rate of about 38%. This means that for every 100 people with this diagnosis, about 38 would be expected to be living five years after diagnosis.
• Regional liver cancer, which means the cancer may have spread to nearby lymph nodes, has a five-year survival rate of about 13%.
• Distant liver cancer, which means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, is also called metastatic liver cancer. The five-year survival rate is about 4%.

These numbers include people with different kinds of liver cancer and different treatments, including some who didn't have treatment. Keep in mind that these numbers are based on people who were diagnosed more than five years ago. They may not have had access to the latest treatments.

Hepatocellular carcinoma survival rates can give you an idea of the prognosis for people in your situation. But survival rates can't say whether you will be cured. For the clearest and most complete picture of your outlook, talk about it with your healthcare team. Your care team understands your overall health and can give a more personalized prognosis.

There are many factors that a healthcare team thinks about when deciding on a prognosis, including:

• The size of the cancer. A small cancer or a few small areas of cancer have a better prognosis, as they may be easier to remove with surgery.
• How much of the liver is affected. If cancer affects a lot of the liver, this gives a worse prognosis.
• How well the liver is working. Having good liver function gives a better prognosis.

A small hepatocellular carcinoma that can be completely removed with surgery has a good chance for a cure, especially if the remaining liver is healthy. In this situation, the five-year survival rate can be as high as 90%. For those who also have liver disease, liver transplant also can cure the cancer. Studies have found five-year survival rates after transplant of 75% or higher.

Liver cancer tends to grow quickly. Many people may not be healthy enough for surgery or may have cancer that can't be removed with surgery. In those situations, the chance of surviving at least five years is lower.

The Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Staging System, which is a common system for staging hepatocellular carcinoma, includes general estimates of life expectancy for people with this cancer. These life expectancy numbers give the healthcare team an idea of how long a person may be expected to live after treatment based on the stage of the cancer.

• Stage 0 has a life expectancy of more than five years.
• Stage A has a life expectancy of more than five years.
• Stage B has a life expectancy of more than five years when liver transplant is used. When transplant isn't an option, localized therapies have a life expectancy of more than 2.5 years. Treatment with medicines has a life expectancy of more than two years.
• Stage C has a life expectancy of more than two years.
• Stage D has a life expectancy of 3 months.

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