About Liver Cancer Survival

Liver cancer is a type of carcinoma that can start in the liver itself or can be caused by cancer that has spread from another place in the body. Although there are several distinct types of liver cancer, they are all fatal, if left untreated. With treatment, patients may be able to survive and eventually become cancer-free or symptom-free.

Definition

• Liver cancer survival rates are determined by the length of time a person survives after her initial diagnosis. EMedTV says that statistics usually use a 5-year baseline, during which the person must become disease-free or have few or no signs of cancer.

Considerations

• Several factors affect liver cancer survival rates. These include the size of the tumor, how much of the liver is being affected, the stage of the cancer, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.

Statistics

• According to eMedTV, the overall survival rate for patients with liver cancer is 9 percent. This means that 9 percent of patients survive for at least 5 years.

Variance

• Liver cancer survival rates vary based on sex and race. The survival rate is lower for African-American men and women than for Caucasians. The survival rate is highest for white women (10.6 percent vs. 4.6 percent for black women, 7.4 percent for white men, and 5.5 percent for black men).

Limitations

• Overall liver cancer survival rates are determined by statistics based on large groups of patients. Each individual case is different, so it's impossible to use these statistics to determine the likely survival period for an individual with liver cancer.