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The most common type of primary liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular
carcinoma (HCC). Primary liver cancer refers to cancer that starts in the liver.
The information on this page may help you gain better understanding of your liver cancer diagnosis. Being prepared may help when making important decisions with your doctor.
Liver cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the liver. The liver is one of the largest organs in the body. It has 2 lobes and fills the upper right side of the abdomen inside the rib cage. Three of the many important functions of the liver are:
This page provides information on cancer that begins in the liver (primary liver cancer). Cancer that begins in other parts of the body and spreads to the liver (secondary liver cancer) is not covered here.
From the National Cancer Institute (NCI)
The information below is based on information originally published by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the US government’s main agency for cancer research.
There are several types of staging systems for liver cancer, and not all doctors use the same system. Common types of staging systems used are the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) system and the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) system.
Find more information below and get the information that may help during your next conversation with your doctor.
In the United States, the AJCC Staging System is the most common system used to classify the spread of liver cancer. It is described in 4 stages ranging from I (1) to IV (4), with stage IV (4) being the most severe.
Stage I (1) is divided into Stage IA and IB.
In Stage II (2), one of the following is found:
Or stage II can be
Stage III (3) is divided into Stage IIIA and IIIB.
Stage IV (4) is divided into Stage IVA and IVB.
The BCLC Staging System is widely used and is described below. This system is used to predict the patient’s chance of recovery and to plan treatment, based on the following:
The BCLC staging system has 5 stages:
The following groups are used to plan treatment.
BCLC stages 0, A, and B
BCLC stages C and D
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