The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in the human body. It’s responsible for filtering toxins out of the bloodstream and keeping the metabolism balanced. And just like every other organ in the body, the liver is made of cells that contain DNA. When that DNA is damaged and is no longer able to perform its function, cancer is often the result.
Due to the severity of a cancerous liver (and how important a healthy liver is), catching the signs of liver cancer early is critical for recovery.
That leaves us with a pressing question: Can liver cancer be cured? The short answer is yes; liver cancer is curable, but the chances of being cured depend on the type, stage, and treatment plan.
What Is Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer is a serious disease that occurs when cancer cells form in the tissues of the liver, disrupting its ability to filter toxins and regulate metabolism. This cancer can originate in the liver itself (primary liver cancer) or spread to the liver from other parts of the body (secondary liver cancer).
Early detection and timely liver cancer treatment are crucial, as outcomes vary greatly depending on the type and stage at diagnosis.
Primary vs. Secondary Liver Cancer
When discussing liver cancer, it’s important to differentiate between primary liver cancer and secondary (metastatic) liver cancer:
- Primary liver cancer begins in the liver. The most common type is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which starts in the main liver cells (hepatocytes).
- Secondary liver cancer means the cancer started elsewhere in the body and later spread to the liver. Cancers of the colon (colorectal cancer), breast, pancreas, and lungs are common examples that can spread to the liver.
Understanding the difference is essential for choosing the right treatment for liver cancer and assessing prognosis.
Types of Liver Cancer
Liver cancer can be classified into five types. Below is a closer look at the different types of liver cancer:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), also known as hepatoma, is the most common type of primary liver cancer (“primary” meaning that the cancer originates in the liver). The main kind of liver cell is called a hepatocellular cell, and HCC starts there.
- Fibrolamellar HCC is a rare liver cancer that usually appears in teens and children. Surgery is the best chance for survival, with 44% to 68% of people surviving for five years after diagnosis. Without surgery, 2% to 17% survive for five years.1
- Cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer, affects the ducts running from the liver to other parts of the body. About 8,000 people in the US are diagnosed with this cancer every year, making it a rare cancer.2 It can be broken down into two types:
- Intrahepatic is a type of cancer that occurs inside the liver in the hepatic bile ducts or in the intrahepatic biliary ducts.
- Extrahepatic cancer, which forms the common bile duct and passes to nearby organs like the pancreas, can be found in the perihilar and distal bile ducts.
- Hepatic angiosarcoma is a cancer that affects the blood vessels along the lining of the liver. It accounts for 2% of all liver cancers and has low survival rates as compared to other types of liver cancer.3
- Secondary liver cancer, also known as liver metastasis, occurs when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Secondary cancer typically first shows up as colon or colorectal cancer, but it can spread to the bones, lungs, stomach, and more.
It is essential to know how liver cancer is detected and consult with your doctor to avoid further complications to your liver.
Liver Cancer Stages
Liver cancer is either primary or secondary cancer, depending on where the cancer has spread. Secondary is advanced, while primary liver cancer means a liver tumor has been identified but has not progressed to liver metastasis yet.
No matter the type of liver cancer, it progresses in four distinct liver cancer stages:
- Stage I: The primary tumor hasn’t grown into any blood vessels yet, and cancer has not spread to the lymph nodes or distant sites. The five-year survival rate (referring to how long a patient survives after diagnosis) is around 33%.4
- Stage II: The tumor has grown into the blood vessels, or multiple small tumors are present. The cancer has still not reached the lymph nodes or other areas.
- Stage III: Several tumors are found, at least one of which is large and growing (or has grown) into the exiting veins or outer covering of the liver. The cancer hasn’t spread to lymph nodes or distant areas.
- Stage IV: The cancer has spread to lymph nodes and may have grown into the blood vessels and organs. Advanced liver cancer doesn’t always turn into secondary or metastatic liver cancer, but if it does, it can cause other types of cancer.
So, is cancer of the liver curable?
If the cancer has spread to surrounding tissues or to the nearby lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 11%. If the cancer has spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is 2%. These odds may look frightening, but early identification of liver cancer increases the chances for survival significantly.
Additionally, choosing the correct cancer treatment option and using targeted therapy is imperative for a better quality of life and survival.
Treatments for Liver Cancer
There are many liver cancer treatment options, and some may be curative depending on the stage and type.
1. Patients Without Other Complications
The only way to cure liver cancer and liver failure is to have a liver transplant (where the cancerous liver is removed and replaced by a healthy liver) or a liver resection (where the cancer is removed from the local area through a liver surgery).5 Patients must be in stage I or II for these procedures to be viable.
These operations are performed only if the patient is healthy and doesn’t have a complicated disease like cirrhosis. Few patients identify liver cancer in time for transplant or resection, but those who do have a higher chance of survival.
2. Unresectable and Inoperable Patients
Patients with unresectable and inoperable liver cancers must weigh other options for treatment, like chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and localized treatments. These therapies are designed to kill cancer6 cells to prevent further liver damage, but they can also kill healthy body cells (this is why cancer patients often lose their hair when undergoing treatment). Cancer treatments come with a host of unpleasant side effects, but choosing not to have treatment of any kind is far worse.
3. Patients Who Prefer Less Invasive Options
Because of the toll cancer therapies can take on the body, some patients opt for less invasive, alternative therapies for liver cancer like Rife machine therapy, laetrile therapy, and immunotherapy—all of which focus on strengthening the body’s natural defenses.
Prognosis and Factors Affecting Cure
Is cancer of the liver curable? If caught early and treated properly, yes, especially for localized tumors. Factors that influence outcomes include:
- Stage at diagnosis (earlier means better outcomes)
- Overall liver health (presence of liver disease like cirrhosis)
- Treatment approach (surgery, transplant, targeted therapy)
- Response to treatment
- Participation in clinical trials exploring innovative therapies
Because survival decreases with later stages, awareness of liver cancer causes and risk reduction is critical.
Fight Liver Cancer With Immunity Therapy Center
The survival rates of liver cancer depend on the type and stage of the cancer. While liver cancer is curable through transplant or resection, few patients identify the cancer in time for the operation. Early diagnosis is the key, and regularly seeing your doctor is the best preventative measure you can take.
Because we understand how taxing traditional cancer treatments are, Immunity Therapy Center has cultivated and centralized a wide variety of alternative treatments into one place. We create a personalized treatment plan for each individual, and we make the process easy on your mind and your body.
At Immunity Therapy Center, we can give your body the boost it needs. ITC offers natural liver cancer treatments in Mexico as an alternative to traditional, often depleting methods. These alternative treatments include vitamin and mineral supplementation, regenerative cell cancer therapy, oxygen treatments, localized hypothermia, and more. Give us a call to learn more!
Written By: Dr. Adolfo Carrillo
Dr. Adolfo Carrillo is a Board Certified Medical Doctor from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California.
Dr. Carrillo has been collaborating with Dr. Bautista for over 5 years as a treating physician at the Immunity the Immunity Therapy Center. Dr. Carrillo is a charismatic Doctor whose knowledge and commitment to patient care and bringing healing to patients is a valuable asset to our center.
Sources:
- PapersOwl. Oncogenes and Tumor Suppressor Genes. https://papersowl.com/discover/oncogenes-and-tumor-suppressor-genes
- Cancer.org. Liver Cancer Survival Rates. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/liver-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/survival-rates.html
- Cancer.gov Fibrolamellar Carcinoma. https://www.cancer.gov/pediatric-adult-rare-tumor/rare-tumors/rare-digestive-system-tumors/fibrolamellar-hepatocellular-carcinoma
- Cholangiocarcinoma.org. What is Cholangiocarcinoma? https://cholangiocarcinoma.org/defined/
- Cancer.net. Liver Cancer Statistics. https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/liver-cancer/statistics
- Cancer.org. Liver Cancer Stages. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/liver-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/staging.html
At Immunity Therapy Center, our goal is to provide objective, updated, and research-based information on all health-related topics. This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles. All information has been fact-checked and reviewed by Dr. Carlos Bautista, a Board Certified Medical Doctor at Immunity Therapy Center. All information published on the site must undergo an extensive review process to ensure accuracy. This article contains trusted sources with all references hyperlinked for the reader's visibility.