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Understanding Liver Cancer
Liver Cancer Statistics
This is the fifth article in the Understanding Liver Cancer Guide. This guide was developed by the HealthTree Education Team and was last updated and reviewed on June 20, 2026.
Liver cancer begins when cells in the liver grow out of control. This page explains how many people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year and what survival statistics look like.
For many people, one of the first questions after a liver cancer diagnosis is, what is my prognosis? or, what are my chances of survival? It is important to remember that every person is different, and researchers are always studying new treatments. Statistics describe groups of people. They cannot predict what will happen for any one individual.
Some people may choose not to read about statistics after a diagnosis. If you would prefer to skip this section, consider reading another part of this guide.
The next section in this guide is How is Liver Cancer Diagnosed, which covers the different types of tests used to confirm a liver cancer diagnosis and understand more about it. If you have already received a liver cancer diagnosis, consider skipping ahead to How is Liver Cancer Staged and Classified.
How common is liver cancer?
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, though it is somewhat less common in the United States than in parts of Asia and Africa where hepatitis B infection is more widespread. In the United States, about 42,000 new cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed each year, and about 30,000 people die from it.
Rates of liver cancer in the United States have been rising over the past several decades, largely because of increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Rates have also been affected by the large number of people living with chronic hepatitis C infection.
Liver cancer is more common in men than in women. It is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 55 and 64. It is more common in certain racial and ethnic groups, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and American Indian and Alaska Native people.
What is the survival rate for liver cancer?
Researchers use a statistic called the relative survival rate to understand how long most people live after a specific cancer diagnosis. This number compares people with the disease to people of the same age and sex who do not have it.
As an example: imagine two groups of 100 people. Group A does not have cancer. Group B does. After 5 years, 90 people in Group A are still alive. In Group B, 65 people are still alive. The 5-year relative survival rate would be about 72% — because 65 is 72% of 90.
The overall 5-year relative survival rate for liver cancer in the United States is about 22 percent. Survival rates vary depending on how far the cancer has spread when it is found:
- Localized liver cancer, meaning cancer that is confined to the liver, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 36 percent.
- Regional liver cancer, meaning cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other nearby structures, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 13 percent.
- Distant liver cancer, meaning cancer that has spread to faraway parts of the body, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 3 percent.
These numbers come from data collected over several years and may not reflect the most current treatments. Newer treatments, including immunotherapy, continue to improve outcomes for people with advanced liver cancer. Always talk to your doctor about what these statistics mean for your specific situation.
Is liver cancer curable?
When liver cancer is found early, it is highly curable. The large majority of people diagnosed with early-stage liver cancer can be cured with treatment. Even people with more advanced liver cancer can often achieve remission with treatment, and newer treatments are helping more people live longer. Researchers continue to develop new therapies that are improving survival and quality of life for people with liver cancer at all stages.
What's Next: The next section in this guide covers How is Liver Cancer Diagnosed? If you would like to read another page in this guide, return to the Understanding Liver Cancer page and choose another page from the menu.
SOURCES:
Liver Cancer Statistics
This is the fifth article in the Understanding Liver Cancer Guide. This guide was developed by the HealthTree Education Team and was last updated and reviewed on June 20, 2026.
Liver cancer begins when cells in the liver grow out of control. This page explains how many people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year and what survival statistics look like.
For many people, one of the first questions after a liver cancer diagnosis is, what is my prognosis? or, what are my chances of survival? It is important to remember that every person is different, and researchers are always studying new treatments. Statistics describe groups of people. They cannot predict what will happen for any one individual.
Some people may choose not to read about statistics after a diagnosis. If you would prefer to skip this section, consider reading another part of this guide.
The next section in this guide is How is Liver Cancer Diagnosed, which covers the different types of tests used to confirm a liver cancer diagnosis and understand more about it. If you have already received a liver cancer diagnosis, consider skipping ahead to How is Liver Cancer Staged and Classified.
How common is liver cancer?
Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide, though it is somewhat less common in the United States than in parts of Asia and Africa where hepatitis B infection is more widespread. In the United States, about 42,000 new cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed each year, and about 30,000 people die from it.
Rates of liver cancer in the United States have been rising over the past several decades, largely because of increasing rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Rates have also been affected by the large number of people living with chronic hepatitis C infection.
Liver cancer is more common in men than in women. It is most often diagnosed in people between the ages of 55 and 64. It is more common in certain racial and ethnic groups, including Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Hispanic Americans, and American Indian and Alaska Native people.
What is the survival rate for liver cancer?
Researchers use a statistic called the relative survival rate to understand how long most people live after a specific cancer diagnosis. This number compares people with the disease to people of the same age and sex who do not have it.
As an example: imagine two groups of 100 people. Group A does not have cancer. Group B does. After 5 years, 90 people in Group A are still alive. In Group B, 65 people are still alive. The 5-year relative survival rate would be about 72% — because 65 is 72% of 90.
The overall 5-year relative survival rate for liver cancer in the United States is about 22 percent. Survival rates vary depending on how far the cancer has spread when it is found:
- Localized liver cancer, meaning cancer that is confined to the liver, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 36 percent.
- Regional liver cancer, meaning cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes or other nearby structures, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 13 percent.
- Distant liver cancer, meaning cancer that has spread to faraway parts of the body, has a 5-year relative survival rate of about 3 percent.
These numbers come from data collected over several years and may not reflect the most current treatments. Newer treatments, including immunotherapy, continue to improve outcomes for people with advanced liver cancer. Always talk to your doctor about what these statistics mean for your specific situation.
Is liver cancer curable?
When liver cancer is found early, it is highly curable. The large majority of people diagnosed with early-stage liver cancer can be cured with treatment. Even people with more advanced liver cancer can often achieve remission with treatment, and newer treatments are helping more people live longer. Researchers continue to develop new therapies that are improving survival and quality of life for people with liver cancer at all stages.
What's Next: The next section in this guide covers How is Liver Cancer Diagnosed? If you would like to read another page in this guide, return to the Understanding Liver Cancer page and choose another page from the menu.
SOURCES:
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