From the Guidelines
The major types of liver cancer include hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma, and angiosarcoma, with HCC being the most common type, accounting for approximately 90% of primary liver cancers, as stated in the most recent guidelines 1. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which typically develops in people with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C.
- HCC accounts for about 90% of primary liver cancers, as reported in the 2025 EASL clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatocellular carcinoma 1.
- Cholangiocarcinoma originates in the bile ducts and represents a smaller percentage of liver cancers, often associated with conditions that cause bile duct inflammation, as discussed in the 2023 EASL-ILCA clinical practice guidelines on the management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma 1.
- Angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive cancer that develops in the blood vessels of the liver, frequently linked to exposure to certain chemicals like vinyl chloride or thorium dioxide. Other less common types include hepatoblastoma (primarily affecting children) and secondary liver cancers, which are metastases from cancers that originated elsewhere in the body, such as the colon, lungs, or breast. Early detection through screening is crucial for high-risk individuals, as symptoms often don't appear until the disease has advanced, as emphasized in the 2024 British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma in adults 1. Treatment options vary by cancer type and stage but may include surgery, ablation therapy, embolization, radiation, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or chemotherapy, with the goal of improving morbidity, mortality, and quality of life outcomes.
From the Research
Types of Liver Cancers
- The two major types of primary liver cancers are:
- HCC is the most common primary liver malignancy, while ICC is the second most common primary liver tumor 2, 5
Characteristics of HCC and ICC
- HCC patients are more likely to have early-stage disease than ICC patients 3
- ICC patients are more likely to be female, especially those without cirrhosis 3
- Cirrhosis is prominent among HCC patients, but no difference in underlying liver disease among cirrhotic patients was found 3
Treatment Options
- Surgical resection is the only option to cure HCC and ICC, despite high recurrence rates 2, 5, 6
- Liver transplantation may be considered a possible option for ICC patients within study protocols 5
- Palliative treatments for ICC include chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and loco-regional treatments such as radiofrequency ablation, trans-arterial chemoembolization, or radioembolization 5