Stages of liver cancer
There are different staging systems your doctor can use for :
BCLC strategy and Child-Pugh system
TNM staging system
number staging system
Doctors often use the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system to help make treatment decisions for HCC. This system looks at the number and size of liver tumours, as well as how well your liver is working, your general health and your cancer related symptoms.
When deciding on treatment your doctor has to think about how well your liver is working. This is especially the case if you have liver damage (cirrhosis). Doctors use the Child-Pugh system and other blood tests and scans to score how well your liver is working. Unfortunately, people with severe liver damage may be too unwell to have treatment for their cancer.
Find out about the BCLC strategy and the Child-Pugh system
The TNM staging system stands for tumour, node and metastases.
T describes the size of the tumour (cancer) and if there is more than one tumour in the liver
N describes whether there are any cancer cells in the
M describes whether the cancer has spread to a different part of the body
Your doctor gives each letter (T, N and M) a number, depending on how far the cancer has grown.
The tests and scans you have to diagnose your cancer give some information about the stage. But your doctor may not be able to tell you the exact stage until after your surgery, if you are able to have it.
Find out more about TNM staging
The number staging system divides liver cancer into 4 main stages, from 1 to 4. Stage 1 is an early cancer. Stage 4 is advanced, which means the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or another part of the body.
Find out more about the number staging system
Your doctor might also classify liver cancer depending on whether they can remove it (resectable) or not (unresectable).
Surgery to remove cancer that is only in the liver includes removing part of the liver (resection) or a liver transplant. If you can’t have surgery, you may have other treatments to help control the cancer.
Last reviewed: 25 Mar 2025
Next review due: 24 Mar 2028
Liver cancer is a cancer that starts in the liver. You might hear it called primary liver cancer.
The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and how far it’s spread. It helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.
Your treatment for liver cancer depends on the stage of your cancer and how well your liver is working. The most common treatments are surgery, heat treatment, drug treatments and radiotherapy.
There are different types of cancer that start in the liver. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Liver cancer is a cancer that starts in the liver. You might hear it called primary liver cancer.
Secondary liver cancer is when a cancer that started somewhere else in the body has spread to the liver. It is also called liver metastases.
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