The National Cancer Institute reports that 15,000 men and 6,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year. The American Cancer Society notes that the liver has two veins: the hepatic artery provides it with oxygen, and the portal vein supplies it with nutrients from the intestine. The liver also has a bile duct that carries bile to the gall bladder. Liver cancer can arise in the cells of the liver, or in the blood vessels or bile duct.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The National Cancer Institute notes that the most common type of liver cancer arises from the liver cells, also called hepatocytes. Thus, this type of cancer is called hepatocellular carcinoma. Merck Manuals, an online medical library, adds that hepatocellular carcinoma usually occurs in patients with a history of cirrhosis (liver inflammation), often due to infection with hepatitis B and C. Because of this, the risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma increases more than a hundred fold when a patient is infected with the hepatitis B virus. Infection with hepatitis C also increases risk, as does chronic alcohol abuse.
Bile Duct Cancers
Bile duct cancers start in the small tubes that deliver bile from the liver to the gallbladder. Bile duct cancers are also called cholangiocarcinomas, according to the American Cancer Society. This type of cancer is less common than hepatocellular carcinoma, causing 10 to 20 percent of primary liver cancers. About 95 percent of bile duct cancers are adenocarcinomas, meaning that the cancer began in the gland cells lining the inside of the bile duct that produce mucus.
Liver Blood Vessel Cancer
Liver blood vessel cancers are a very rare type of liver cancer. When cells of the blood vessels become cancerous, they often grown quickly, and often spread throughout the body early in the disease. Because of these features, blood vessel cancer of the liver is usually difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis.
Hepatoblastoma
Merck Manuals reports that this type of cancer is the most common primary liver cancer in infants and young children. The American Cancer Society adds that prognosis for hepatoblastoma is usually quite good, especially if caught early. Children who receive treatment in the early stages of this cancer have a survival rate of more than 90 percent.
