Liver cancer is a malignant tumor in the liver, the largest organ inside the body.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is a tumor that arises from a malignant change in one or just a few of the most abundant cells in the liver, the hepatocytes. Although hepatocellular carcinoma is among the most common cancers in parts of Asia and Africa, it is less common in the United States and Europe. Unfortunately, nearly 13,800 people die of the disease each year, making liver cancer one of the less treatable forms of cancer. Like all cancers, early diagnosis offers the best chance for effective treatment. Most patients who develop hepatocellular carcinoma have an underlying form of liver disease.