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Statistics about liver cancer

This page has key statistics about liver cancer. This information is about liver cancer in the UK, so it isn’t a good guide to what may happen to an individual person.

16 people die from liver cancer every day in the UK
Only 3 in 10 liver cancer are diagnosed at an early stage

You are welcome to use these statistics in your own work, please credit the British Liver Trust.

Information about life expectancy and prognosis by cancer type and stage can be found on our pages for each type of liver cancer.

A major cause of liver cancer is underlying liver disease. You can read our statistics about liver disease on the British Liver Trust website.

There are several types of liver cancer. Most data is about a mixture of different types and subtypes, we have called this liver cancer. Where a statistic is about a specific type we have included the name eg bile duct cancer.

Wherever possible we have included statistics about the UK as a whole. Data is collected differently across the UK nations, so in a few cases we have reported data for the specific nations where the information is publicly available.

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Liver cancer deaths

Over the past decade, the number of people dying from liver cancer has risen the fastest out of all the 20 most common types of cancer in the UK.1

Each day, 16 people in the UK die from liver cancer, which is around 6,000 people every year.2 In 2021 the number of deaths by UK nation were:

  • 5,052 in England3
  • 653 in Scotland4
  • 323 in Wales3
  • 171 in Northern Ireland5
Bar chart showing 10-year change in cancer death rates, liver cancer rates have risen by over 40% while rates for the 4 most common cancers and for all cancers combined have fallen.

Cases of liver cancer

The number of new cases (incidence) of liver cancer has risen the second fastest amongst the 20 most common types of cancer over the past decade in the UK.6

In numbers, this amounts to 17 new liver cancer diagnoses each day, and around 6,000 each year.8

According to the latest available data for each UK nation, the number of new yearly liver cancer cases by nation are:

  • 5,457 in England (2020)9
  • 361 in Wales (2019)11
  • 600 in Scotland (2017)10
  • 132 in Northern Ireland (2020)12
Bar chart showing 10-year change in the incidence rate of new cancer cases, liver cancer rates have risen 46% in men and 38% in women while the 4 most common cancers and all cancers combined show a decrease or much smaller rise.

Cancer cases by UK region

A range of things affect differences in cancer rates between regions. These include the level of deprivation, with liver cancer being more common in more deprived areas. 32

Region Age standardised
rate in men		 Age standardised
rate in women		 Cases in
men		 Cases in
women		 Total
cases
North West 17.4 7.2 583 279 862
North East 16.7 7.0 206 106 312
London 15.5 7.1 447 242 689
Yorkshire and
the Humber		 14.4 6.3 354 183  

537
West Midlands 14.2 7.1 372 221  

593
South West 14.1 6.6 411 227 638
South East 12.9 5.9 551 307 858
East Midlands 12.8 5.9 291 153 444
East 11.2 5.6 331 193 524


Rates per 100,000 people. All rates were directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population (2013). Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2020.

Source: NHS Digital (2022). Cancer Registration Statistics, England 2020. Accessed: 15/09/2023. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2020.

Region Age standardised
rate in men		 Age standardised
rate in women		 Cases in
men		 Cases in
women		 Total
cases
Belfast HSCT 19.3 6.2 25 10 35
South Eastern
HSCT		 12.8 4.8 20 9 29
Western HSCT 11.5 3.7 14 5 19
Northern HSCT 11.4 5 23 12 35
Southern HSCT 10.1 4.8 14 8 22


Rates per 100,000 people. All rates were directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population (2013). Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2016-2020.

Source: Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Liver cancer statistics: 1993-2020. Accessed: 02/09/2023 https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerInformation/official-statistics/BySite/Livercancer/ .

Region Age standardised
rate in men		 Age standardised
rate in women		 Cases in
men		 Cases in
women		 Total
cases
South East
of Scotland		 19.5 7.7 138 66 204
West of
Scotland		 18.8 8.5 213 117 330
North of
Scotland		 13.9 6.7 97 55 152


Rates per 100,000 people. All rates were directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population (2013). Site: Liver Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2021.

Source: Scotland Public Health Scotland (2023). Cancer incidence in Scotland: ‘Cancer incidence: liver’ and ‘Cancer incidence by deprivation quintile: liver’ tables. Accessed: 02/09/2023 https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-incidence-in-scotland/cancer-incidence-in-scotland-to-december-2021/data-files/#Digestive%20organs.

Region Age standardised
rate in men		 Age standardised
rate in women		 Cases in
men		 Cases in
women		 Total
cases
Cardiff and
Vale		 22.3 7.2 42 17 59
Cwm Taf
Morgannwg		 18.3 6.3 38 15 53
Aneurin
Bevan		 17.1 7.5 49 25 73
Swansea
Bay		 14.9 4.9 27 11 38
Betsi
Cadwaladr		 13.7 5.9 52 26 78
Hywel Dda 12.4 5.7 28 15 42
Powys 11.6 4.7 10 4 14


Rates per 100,000 people. All rates were directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population (2013). Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2018-2020.

Source: Wales Public Health Wales (2023). Cancer Incidence in Wales, 2002 to 2002. ‘Geographical Analysis, 2002-2020’ and ‘Area Deprivation, 2002-2020’ tables. Accessed: 15/09/2023 https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool/official-statistics-data-tables/

Liver cancer survival

Liver cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer in the UK. Only 13% of people survive their liver cancer for 5 years or more. 14

Only 3 in 10 liver cancer cases are diagnosed early at stages 1 or 2.13 Because diagnoses of liver cancer normally happen so late, it has one of the lowest survival rates out of all cancer types.

These numbers are all averages. They are taken from past data on a lot of people and cannot say what will happen for any individual person. If you have liver cancer, and want to talk about what this information could mean for you, speak to your doctor or specialist nurse. Our free nurse-led helpline is here for anyone worried about or affected by a liver condition.

Bar chart comparing 5-year survival rates for liver and gallbladder cancer with the 4 most common types of cancer, liver cancer has the lowest rate at 13%, gallbladder survival is 20%, the highest is prostate cancer at 88%.

Types of liver cancer

There are 5 main types of cancer affecting the liver and related organs. Alongside the two most common types, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and bile duct cancer, additional types include fibrolamellar cancer, angiosarcoma and gallbladder cancer.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma

  • HCC is the most common type of liver cancer and accounts for more than three quarters of the world’s liver cancer cases each year.16
  • The number of new HCC cases in England every year is around 2,400 in men and 600 in women.17*

Bile Duct Cancer

  • Around 2,800 people in England receive a bile duct cancer diagnosis (cholangiocarcinoma) each year.18*
  • Bile duct cancer can either be intrahepatic (originating within the liver) or extrahepatic (originating anywhere between the liver and small intestine). Most cases of bile duct cancer are intrahepatic – 78% of cases from 2001 to 2017.19
  • From 2001 to 2017, one third of those diagnosed with bile duct cancer were under the age of 70.20

*Data for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is not currently available.

Symptoms and risk factors

Liver cancer is often not diagnosed until it is too advanced for treatment to be a realistic option.

Liver cancer is often undetected until these late stages because symptoms usually take a long time to show and are not unique to liver cancer. Meaning they are hard to distinguish from symptoms of more common and less serious conditions.

Possible symptoms of liver cancer

The biggest risk factor for the development of liver cancer is pre-existing liver disease. An example of liver disease is cirrhosis, or serious scarring of the liver, caused by long term damage from a variety of factors.22

30 to 40% of people with bile duct cancer have underlying liver disease.
80 to 90% of people with HCC have cirrhosis

30 to 40% of people with bile duct cancer have underlying liver disease. 23 24 And 80 to 90% of people with HCC have cirrhosis. 25

Who is most likely to develop liver cancer?

Sex

Women

  • There are around 2,100 new cases of liver cancer in women every year in the UK.8
  • Intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer in women.26
  • Survival from liver cancer is lower for women than it is for men at both 1 and 5 years.27

Men

  • There are around 4,100 new cases of liver cancer in men every year in the UK.8
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common form of liver cancer in men.26

Ethnicity

The number of people diagnosed with liver cancer each year is higher in the Asian and Black ethnic groups in England. But lower in people of mixed or multiple ethnicities, compared with the White ethnic group in England.28

Age

The likelihood of getting liver cancer increases after age 40 and the rise in the number of liver cancer cases after age 40 is greater in men than women.29

Only a small proportion of liver cancer cases occur in children.29

Deprivation

A 2023 analysis of liver cancer data on behalf of Liver Cancer UK shows that liver cancer rates across the UK are linked with deprivation. In all 4 nations, liver cancer rates are highest in people from the most deprived areas 32.

  • In England, the rate of liver cancer in men from the most deprived areas (21 in 100,000 people) is double the rate in men living in the least deprived areas (11 in 100,000). In women, the rate is 58% higher in women from the most deprived (8 in 100,000) compared to the least deprived (5 in 100,000) areas.
  • In Northern Ireland, liver cancer rates are highest among men (17 in every 100,000) and women (6 in every 100,000) living in the most deprived areas.
  • In Scotland liver cancer incidence is highest in people living in the most deprived areas of Scotland, with around 17 in every 100,000 diagnosed each year. This is over double the rate in those living in the least deprived areas (8 in 100,000).
  • In Wales, the rate of liver cancer is 48% higher in men from the most deprived (20 in 100,000) compared to the least deprived (13 in 100,000) areas. Incidence is also highest among women living in the most deprived areas with 9 diagnoses in every 100,000 women each year.

A 2022 report from Cancer Research UK has found that in Scotland, cancer death rates are 74% higher in the most deprived populations than the least deprived.30

The report also estimates that around 4,900 extra cancer cases each year in Scotland are due to deprivation.30

Around 1,200 cases of liver cancer each year in England are linked with deprivation.28

The number of liver cancer deaths is 100% higher for men living in the most deprived areas of England compared with the least deprived, and 72% higher for women.31

The number of liver cancer deaths are 100% higher for men living in the most deprived areas of England compared with the least deprived, and 72% higher for women.

Note

Incidence rates for HCC were adjusted from ‘per 100k’ format to a raw approximate using ONS population figures.

References

1. Cancer Research UK (2021). Mortality trends over time for common cancers. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/mortality/common-cancerscompared#heading-Three (last accessed March 2023).

2. Cancer Research UK (2022). Liver cancer mortality by sex and UK country. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer/mortality#heading-Zero (last accessed March 2023).

3. Office for National Statistics (2021). Mortality statistics – underlying cause, sex and age. Available at: https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/mortsa (last accessed March 2023).

4. National Records of Scotland (2021). List of data tables. Available at: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/statistics-and-data/statistics/statistics-by-theme/vital-events/general-publications/vital-events-reference-tables/2021/list-of-data-tables#section6 (last accessed March 2023).

5. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (2022). Registrar General Annual Report 2021 Cause of Death. Available at: https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/registrar-general-annual-report-2021-cause-death (last accessed March 2023).

6. Cancer Research UK (2021). Incidence trends over time for common cancers. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/incidence/common-cancerscompared#heading-Three (last accessed March 2023).

7. Cancer Research UK (2021). Thyroid cancer incidence trends over time. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/thyroid-cancer/incidence#heading-Two (last accessed March 2023).

8. Cancer Research UK (2021). Liver cancer incidence by sex and UK country. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer/incidence#heading-Zero (last accessed March 2023).

9. NHS Digital (2022). Cancer incidence and mortality. Available at: https://www.cancerdata.nhs.uk/incidence_and_mortality (last accessed March 2023).

10. Public Health Scotland (2020). Cancer Statistics: Liver Cancer. Available at: https://www.isdscotland.org/health-topics/cancer/cancer-statistics/liver/ (last accessed March 2023).

11. Welsh cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (2022). Cancer Incidence in Wales, 2002 to 2019. Available at: https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-incidence-in-wales-2002-2019/ (last accessed March 2023).

12. Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Liver cancer. https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerInformation/official-statistics/BySite/Livercancer/ (last accessed March 2023).

13. Office for National Statistics (2019). Cancer Survival in England – adults diagnosed. Available at:
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/datasets/cancersurvivalratescancersurvivalinenglandadultsdiagnosed (last accessed March 2023).

14. Nuffield Trust (2022). Cancer survival rates. Available at: https://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/resource/cancer-survival-rates (last accessed March 2023).

15. Cancer Research UK. One- and five- year survival for gallbladder cancer. Available at:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/gallbladder-cancer/survival#heading-Zero (last accessed March 2023).

16. Wong, M.C.S., et al. (2017). International incidence and mortality trends of liver cancer: a global profile. Scientific Reports, 7(1). Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28361988/

17. National Cancer Research Institute (2019). Deaths from liver cancer have tripled in past 20 years in England. medicalxpress.com. Available at: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-11-deaths-liver-cancer-tripled-years.html

18. Cancer Research UK (2021). What is bile duct cancer? Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bile-duct-cancer/about (last accessed March 2023).

19. Genus, Tataru et al (2020). AMMF Incidence and Mortality Rates of Cholangiocarcinoma in England. Available at: https://ammf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Incidence_Mortality_Poster_ESMO-GI_July_2019.pdf

20. Professor Shahid A Khan (2020). An Overview of Cholangiocarcinoma. Available at: https://ammf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/1.CCA_AMMF_Pt-day_29oct2020.pdf

21. Cancer Research UK (2021). Symptoms of liver cancer. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/liver-cancer/symptoms (last accessed March 2023).

22. NHS (2020). Overview: Cirrhosis. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cirrhosis/

23. Selvadurai S, et al, (2021). Cholangiocarcinoma miscoding in hepatobiliary centres. European Journal of Surgical Oncology. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejso.2020.09.039

24. Pericleous M and Khan SA (2019). Epidemiology of HPB Malignancy in the Elderly. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32360064/

25. Nordenstedt H, White DL, El-Serag HB (2010). The changing pattern of epidemiology in hepatocellularcarcinoma. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20547305/#:~:text=Cirrhosis%20is%20present%20in%20about,90%25%20of%20all%20HCC%20worldwide (last accessed March 2023).

26. Cancer Research UK (2022). Liver cancer incidence by atomical site. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer/incidence#heading-Three (last accessed March 2023).

27. Cancer Research UK (2020). One- and five- year survival for liver cancer. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer#heading-Two (last accessed March 2023).

28. Cancer Research UK. Liver cancer incidence. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer#heading-Zero (last accessed March 2023).

29. Cancer Research UK (2021). Liver cancer incidence by age. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer/incidence#heading-One (last accessed March 2023).

30. Cancer Research UK (2022). Cancer Research UK report highlights stark cancer inequalities across Scotland. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/sites/default/files/cancer_in_the_uk_-_deprivation_and_cancer_inequalities_in_scotland.pdf

31. Cancer Research UK (2016). Deprivation gradient in liver cancer mortality. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/health-professional/cancer-statistics/statistics-by-cancer-type/liver-cancer/mortality#heading-Four (last accessed March 2023).

32. Analysis of cancer incidence data on behalf of Liver Cancer UK, carried out by Dr Becky White, 2023. All rates were directly age-standardised to the European Standard Population (2013). 95% confidence intervals were used to calculate statistically significant differences. Deprivation statistics are from the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and compare patients living in the most and least deprived quintiles.

England Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2020. NHS Digital (2022). Cancer Registration Statistics, England 2020. Accessed: 15/09/2023. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/cancer-registration-statistics/england-2020.

Northern Ireland Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2016-2020. Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Cancer Registry. Liver cancer statistics: 1993-2020. Accessed: 02/09/2023 https://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/nicr/CancerInformation/official-statistics/BySite/Livercancer/ .

Scotland Site: Liver Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2021. Scotland Public Health Scotland (2023). Cancer incidence in Scotland: ‘Cancer incidence: liver’ and ‘Cancer incidence by deprivation quintile: liver’ tables. Accessed: 02/09/2023 https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/cancer-incidence-in-scotland/cancer-incidence-in-scotland-to-december-2021/data-files/#Digestive%20organs.

Wales Site: Liver And Intraheptic Bile Duct Cancer (ICD-10 C22). Diagnosis year: 2018-2020. Wales Public Health Wales (2023). Cancer Incidence in Wales, 2002 to 2002. ‘Geographical Analysis, 2002-2020’ and ‘Area Deprivation, 2002-2020’ tables. Accessed: 15/09/2023 https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/welsh-cancer-intelligence-and-surveillance-unit-wcisu/cancer-reporting-tool/official-statistics-data-tables/