Yes; liver cancer that is found early can be cured with surgery, destroying the tumour with heat, or a liver transplant, and with the right treatment more than half of these people are expected to live more than 5 years [2]. In one study, more than 8 in 10 people whose small tumours were within the transplant criteria and who had a liver transplant were alive 4 years later [4]. But most liver cancers are found late; then treatment usually controls the disease rather than removing it completely, and immunotherapy has helped people in this group live longer [1, 5, 7].
Key points
- Finding it early is the key to cure: early liver cancer can be cured with surgery, destroying the tumour with a needle that delivers heat, or a liver transplant [2].
- The health of the liver matters as much as the tumour: if the liver is badly damaged (jaundice, fluid in the abdomen or confusion), treating the tumour alone does not help people live longer, and a liver transplant, if possible, is the main option [2].
- In the United States, nearly 6 in 10 liver cancers are found when they are already advanced [1].
- The chance of living 5 years with liver cancer has tripled since the 1990s [1].
- In advanced liver cancer, combination immunotherapy has helped people live longer; with one of these combinations, 1 in 5 people were alive 5 years later [7].
- Cancer that has spread to the liver from another organ (for example the bowel) is not "liver cancer", and it is treated differently [8].
Is liver cancer curable? What about "malignant" liver cancer?
Yes. Every cancer is a "malignant" tumour, so "malignant liver cancer" simply means liver cancer. About 9 in 10 cancers that start in the liver itself are hepatocellular carcinoma [3]. A cure means removing the tumour completely with surgery, destroying it with heat, or a liver transplant; these treatments are for liver cancer that has been found early [2].
In liver cancer, the chance of cure does not depend only on the tumour. This cancer usually develops in a liver that is already diseased, and the doctor weighs three things together: the number and size of the tumours and whether they have reached the large blood vessels or spread outside the liver; how well the liver still works; and the person's general health [2]. Treatment is best decided by a team of a liver specialist, a surgeon, a radiologist and an oncologist [3]. Read more: diagnosis and staging of liver cancer and Can cancer be cured?
Liver cancer survival rate: how long do people live, by stage?
| Stage | What it means | Main treatment | With the right treatment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very early and early (0 and A) | One tumour, or up to 3 tumours each up to 3 cm; the liver still works well and the cancer has caused no symptoms | Surgery, destroying the tumour with heat, or a liver transplant; the aim is cure | More than half of people live more than 5 years |
| Intermediate (B) | Several tumours in the liver, not reaching the large blood vessels or outside the liver; the liver works well | Blocking the tumour's blood supply with chemotherapy delivered through a catheter; in some people a transplant or medicines | About half of people live more than 2 and a half years |
| Advanced (C) | The tumour has reached the large blood vessels of the liver or spread outside it, but the person is still fairly well and the liver works well | Combination immunotherapy or targeted tablets | About half of people live more than 2 years |
| End stage (D) | The liver is badly damaged or the person is very frail | Symptom control and palliative care; a liver transplant for some people | Short; usually a few months |
These are the targets that the Barcelona staging system (BCLC) sets for each stage with the right treatment; one person's outlook may be better or worse [2].
| How far the cancer has spread | About 30 years ago | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Only in the liver | Fewer than 2 | Nearly 4 |
| Spread nearby (lymph nodes or tissue next to the liver) | Fewer than 1 (5 in 100) | More than 1 |
| Spread to distant places | Fewer than 1 (3 in 100) | Fewer than 1 (3 in 100) |
| All patients together | Fewer than 1 (7 in 100) | 2 |
All cancers of the liver and the bile ducts inside the liver, compared with people of the same age without cancer. The "Today" column covers people diagnosed between 2015 and 2021, and "About 30 years ago" people diagnosed between 1995 and 1997 [1].
These numbers are averages of thousands of patients and cannot predict one person's future. To understand these statistics, read: How long do people with cancer live? What 5-year survival means.
Treatment and the chance of cure at each stage
- 1
Surgery to remove part of the liver
- 2
Destroying the tumour with a needle (ablation)
Small tumours can be destroyed with heat through a needle, without open surgery. For very small tumours, the results are close to those of surgery [2].
- 3
Liver transplant
A transplant removes both the tumour and the diseased liver. In the study that set the transplant criteria, among people with one tumour up to 5 cm or up to 3 tumours each up to 3 cm, more than 8 in 10 were alive 4 years later and more than 9 in 10 had no return of the cancer [4].
- 4
Blocking the tumour's blood supply (TACE)
Chemotherapy is delivered through a thin tube straight into the blood vessel feeding the tumour, and the vessel is then blocked. It is the usual treatment for the intermediate stage, and its aim is long-term control of the disease [2].
- 5
Stage 4 (advanced) liver cancer: can it be treated, and what is the life expectancy?
Advanced liver cancer usually cannot be cured, but it can be treated; the aim is to control the disease, ease symptoms and give a better life [2]. In the United States, about 3 in 100 people with liver cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body are alive 5 years later; according to the authors of these statistics, medicines at this stage have mainly controlled the disease and symptoms, and newer immunotherapy drugs have improved survival modestly [1]. Results of treatment in large studies:
- Atezolizumab with bevacizumab (immunotherapy with a drug that blocks new blood vessel growth, given by infusion every 3 weeks): people lived longer than with the older tablet sorafenib; half of the patients lived more than a year and a half [5]. For this treatment, the liver must still work well, and swollen veins in the oesophagus (varices) must be checked and treated before starting [2].
- Lenvatinib or sorafenib tablets: for people for whom immunotherapy is not suitable [2]; lenvatinib helped people live as long as sorafenib [6].
- Durvalumab with tremelimumab (two immunotherapy drugs): 1 in 5 people were alive 5 years later; about twice as many as with sorafenib [7].
If the liver is badly damaged, symptom control and palliative care are the most important part of treatment [2]. Read more: What is stage 4 cancer and can it be treated? and What is immunotherapy?
Cancer that has spread to the liver is different from liver cancer
If a cancer from another organ, such as the bowel, breast or stomach, reaches the liver, it keeps the name of the original cancer; for example "bowel cancer that has spread to the liver", not liver cancer. Its cells also look like those of the original cancer [8]. This is why its treatment and chance of cure follow the original cancer, and the statistics on this page do not apply to it. To read about cancer that has reached the liver, for example from the bowel: What are liver metastases and can they be treated? and Is bowel cancer curable?
What improves the chance of successful treatment?
Regular ultrasound if you are at risk
If you have cirrhosis or hepatitis B, ask your doctor how often you need a liver ultrasound; the aim is to find a tumour while it can still be cured [2, 3]. Read: screening for liver cancer and Symptoms of liver cancer.
A treatment team meeting
Choosing between surgery, destroying the tumour with heat, a transplant, treatment through the blood vessels and medicines requires a careful weighing of risks and benefits by a team of several specialists [3]. Ask whether your case has been discussed at such a meeting.
Looking after the liver during treatment
The chance of successful treatment, and even the choice of medicine, depend on how well the liver works [2]. Before immunotherapy with bevacizumab, an endoscopy is needed to check for varices in the oesophagus [2].
Follow-up after treatment
Liver cancer can come back after surgery or ablation [2]; have your follow-up scans and tests on time. Read: What is cancer recurrence and how is it followed up? and What does a high AFP mean?
Frequently asked questions
How long do people with liver cancer live?
It depends on the stage and on the health of the liver. With the right treatment, more than half of people with early cancer are expected to live more than 5 years, and about half live more than 2 and a half years at the intermediate stage and more than 2 years at the advanced stage; but when the liver is badly damaged, usually only a few months [2]. These numbers are averages and cannot say exactly what will happen to one person.
Is liver cancer fatal?
What is the life expectancy with stage 4 liver cancer?
In the United States, about 3 in 100 people with liver cancer that has spread to distant parts of the body are alive 5 years later [1]. With the immunotherapy combination durvalumab and tremelimumab, 1 in 5 people were alive 5 years later [7]. The healthier the liver and the better the person's general condition, the better the results of treatment [2].
Can liver cancer be treated without surgery?
Does liver cancer come back after surgery?
Survival and treatment evidence by stage (for doctors)
For physicians
Population survival (SEER). 5-year relative survival for liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer diagnosed 2015–2021: all stages 22%, localised 38%, regional 13% and distant 3%; compared with 7%, 17%, 5% and 3% in 1995–1997; 58% of cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and according to the authors, systemic therapy for advanced disease has been primarily palliative, with newer immunotherapy drugs offering only a modest improvement in survival [1].
BCLC 2022. Stage 0: solitary HCC ≤2 cm without vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread, preserved liver function and no cancer-related symptoms; A: solitary of any size or up to 3 nodules none >3 cm, PS 0; B: multifocal beyond A with preserved liver function and PS 0; C: vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread with PS ≤2 and preserved liver function; D: major cancer-related symptoms (PS >2) and/or impaired liver function without the option of transplantation. Expected median survival: more than 5 years (0/A), 2.5 years (B), 2 years (C) and 3 months (D). Decompensation (jaundice, ascites, encephalopathy) reflects non-preserved liver function irrespective of the Child-Pugh or MELD score. In BCLC-0 when transplant is not feasible, ablation gives survival similar to resection; Atezo-Bev is the preferred first-line therapy, provided liver function is preserved (compensated Child-Pugh A) and upper endoscopy shows no high-risk stigmata of bleeding; TKIs (sorafenib or lenvatinib) when the immunotherapy options are contraindicated [2]. EASL 2025 emphasises personalised surveillance, combination immunotherapy across disease stages and decisions by a multidisciplinary team [3]. Tool: Child-Pugh and ALBI score.
Transplantation (Milan criteria). Mazzaferro 1996 (48 cirrhotic patients with small unresectable HCC; single tumour ≤5 cm or up to 3 nodules each ≤3 cm): 4-year survival 75% and recurrence-free survival 83% overall; 85% and 92% in the 35 patients meeting the criteria at pathology, vs 50% and 59% in the 13 patients exceeding them [4].
Advanced disease. IMbrave150 (update, median follow-up 15.6 months): median OS 19.2 months with atezolizumab 1200 mg + bevacizumab 15 mg/kg every 3 weeks vs 13.4 months with sorafenib (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.52 to 0.85); median PFS 6.9 vs 4.3 months [5]. REFLECT: median OS 13.6 months with lenvatinib vs 12.3 months with sorafenib (HR 0.92; non-inferior) [6]. HIMALAYA (STRIDE, median follow-up 62.5 months): OS HR 0.76 vs sorafenib; 60-month OS 19.6% vs 9.4%, and 28.7% vs 12.7% in patients with disease control [7]. Regimens: atezolizumab with bevacizumab and durvalumab and tremelimumab (STRIDE).
Adjuvant therapy. IMbrave050 (2026 update): the initial recurrence-free survival benefit of atezolizumab + bevacizumab after high-risk resection or ablation was not sustained (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.12); OS data immature (HR 1.26); according to the authors, the benefit–risk profile does not support this adjuvant therapy [9].
Scientific evidence
Scientific evidence
7 itemsLiver Transplantation for the Treatment of Small Hepatocellular Carcinomas in Patients with Cirrhosis
Lenvatinib versus sorafenib in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial
EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma
Updated efficacy and safety data from IMbrave150: Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab vs. sorafenib for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma
Updated data from IMbrave050: Adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma
Five-year overall survival update from the HIMALAYA study of tremelimumab plus durvalumab in unresectable HCC
BCLC strategy for prognosis prediction and treatment recommendation: The 2022 update
Related cancer types
Related questions
References
9 referencesShow all references, 8 with a study cardClose the reference list
Numbers in the text, such as [1], refer to these sources. Sources with a “Study card” button are summarised in the site’s evidence library.
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- 6Lenvatinib versus sorafenib in first-line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a randomised phase 3 non-inferiority trial
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- 9Updated data from IMbrave050: Adjuvant atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma
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