Prognosis

A liver cancer prognosis is a medical opinion as to the likely course and outcome of the disease. For a person with liver cancer, his/ her prognosis will depend on many different factors, including type of liver cancer, the stage the disease is in, and whether it has spread to other parts of the body. Please note that a prognosis is a prediction, doctors cannot say with certainty what the outcome will be in an individual case.

Liver cancer prognosis depends on:
* The stage of the cancer (the size of the tumor, whether it affects part or all of the liver, or has spread to other places in the body)
* How well the liver is working till date
* The patient's general health, including whether there is cirrhosis of the liver
* Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.

Survival rates indicate the percentage of people with a certain type/ stage of cancer who survive the disease for a specific period of time after their diagnosis. Often, statistics refer to five-year survival rates, which means the percentage of people who are still alive five years after diagnosis and whether they have few/ no signs or symptoms of cancer, are free of disease, or are receiving treatment. Survival rates are based on large groups of people. No two patients are exactly alike, and liver cancer treatment and responses to treatment vary. Survival rates can be calculated by different methods for different purposes. The liver cancer survival rates presented here are based on the relative survival rate, which measures the survival of the cancer patients in comparison to the general population to estimate the effect of cancer.

The stage of liver cancer plays a role in the liver cancer prognosis. Based on historical data:
* Approx. 30 percent of liver cancer cases are diagnosed while the cancer is still confined to the primary site (localized stage)
* Approx. 25 percent are diagnosed after the cancer has spread to regional lymph nodes or directly beyond the primary site
* Approx. 20 percent are diagnosed after the cancer has already metastasized (distant stage)
* Approx. 20 percent of the cases, the staging information was unknown.

Some people find it easier to cope when they know statistics. Other people find statistical information confusing/ frightening, and they think it is too impersonal. The doctor who is most familiar with a patient's situation is in the best position to discuss the prognosis and explain what the statistics may mean. At the same time, it is important to understand that even the doctor cannot tell exactly what to expect. A person's prognosis may change if the cancer progresses or if treatment is successful.