Primary liver cancer is a cancer that starts in the liver. If a cancer starts elsewhere and spreads to the liver this is called secondary liver cancer. Most people in the UK with cancer in the liver have secondary liver cancer.

Primary liver cancers are uncommon in the UK, with less than 1,000 new cases each year.

Treatment for primary liver cancer depends on a number of factors. One of the most important is the stage of the cancer. The stage depends on the size of the tumour and whether it has spread outside of the liver. Also important are a person's age, general health and personal preferences.

It is not usually possible to cure advanced liver cancer. When treatment is given it's to try to control the cancer or to help relieve symptoms. This is called palliative treatment.

When considering palliative treatment it's important to balance the possible side effects of the treatment with any benefit it may have in controlling symptoms or slowing the development of the cancer. At the moment it isn't clear whether the benefits current treatments might offer outweigh the side effects they may cause. So there isn't a standard treatment used in this situation.

Possible effective new treatments include chemotherapy and chemoembolisation. There is more about these treatments in the treatments section.

Clinical trials are trying to find ways of improving treatment. Cancer specialists can let you know if there is a suitable clinical trial for you. You can also search our trials database for more information about trials being run in the UK.