The short answer
Primary liver cancer is cancer that starts in the tissues of the liver. The most common type in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma. Cancer that starts elsewhere and spreads to the liver is not primary liver cancer. Signs can include a lump below the ribs, belly discomfort, and yellowing of the skin.
Primary liver cancer is cancer that forms in the tissues of the liver.
The most common type of primary liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma.
Cancer that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the liver is not primary liver cancer.
Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) starts in the bile ducts, which connect the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine.
Subjective: What you might experience
This section describes the symptoms and history a patient might report to their doctor.
Pain, swelling, or a hard lump in the upper right abdomen.
Unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, or feeling full after a small meal.
Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) or pale, chalky stools.
Nausea, vomiting, weakness, and fatigue.
Risk history
chronic hepatitis B or C, cirrhosis, heavy alcohol use, fatty liver disease.
Objective: Tests and findings
Liver function tests and blood clotting studies.
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tumor marker.
Imaging
ultrasound, multiphase CT, or MRI — liver cancer can often be diagnosed by characteristic imaging.
Biopsy when imaging is not conclusive.
Testing for underlying hepatitis and assessment of overall liver function.
Interactive anatomy guide
Explore where cancers start and how they are found, on an interactive body map.
Open the anatomy guideAssessment: Staging and prognosis
Most primary liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma, often arising in a cirrhotic liver.
Diagnosis may be made by imaging alone in the right setting, or confirmed by biopsy.
Staging combines tumor extent with liver function (e.g., BCLC/Child-Pugh) — unusual among cancers.
Underlying liver disease strongly influences which treatments are safe.
Plan: The treatment approach
Surgery (resection) or liver transplant for suitable candidates.
Local treatments
ablation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), or radioembolization.
Advanced disease
targeted therapy and immunotherapy; clinical trials.
Management of the underlying liver disease (antiviral therapy, alcohol cessation).
Regular imaging and AFP surveillance, especially in people with cirrhosis.
These are simplified, educational SOAP-style summaries showing the kinds of findings clinicians document when evaluating each cancer, based on National Cancer Institute resources. They describe typical diagnostic criteria and workups — not a real patient, and not medical advice. Real clinical notes are individualized. Always rely on your own care team. Based on National Cancer Institute educational content. Educational only — not medical advice.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
Common questions
What is primary liver cancer?
Primary liver cancer is a disease in which cancer (malignant) cells form in the tissues of the liver. Cancer that forms in other parts of the body and then spreads to the liver is not called primary liver cancer.
What is the most common type of liver cancer in adults?
The most common type of primary liver cancer in adults is hepatocellular carcinoma. Bile duct cancer, also called cholangiocarcinoma, is another main type of adult primary liver cancer.
What does the liver do?
The liver is one of the largest organs in the body and fills the upper right side of the abdomen inside the rib cage. It makes bile to help digest fat, stores sugar (glycogen) that the body uses for energy, and filters harmful substances from the blood so they can leave the body in stool and urine.
What is bile duct cancer?
Bile duct cancer, also called cholangiocarcinoma, is cancer that starts in the bile ducts. The bile ducts are tubes that connect the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Cancer that forms in bile ducts inside the liver is called intrahepatic bile duct cancer, and cancer outside the liver is called extrahepatic bile duct cancer.
What are some signs and symptoms of liver cancer?
Signs and symptoms may include a hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage, discomfort in the upper right abdomen, a swollen belly, pain near the right shoulder blade or back, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), easy bruising or bleeding, tiredness, nausea, loss of appetite, and unexplained weight loss. These can also be caused by other conditions, so it is important to check with a doctor.
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Sources last checked: 2026-07-21 what this meansLast updated: 2026-08-10Next planned review: 2027-07-21
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How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes. We do not employ clinicians and do not intend to — our work is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and checked line by line against the sources listed on it. That confirms the sources support what the page says. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
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