A method of determining the subtype of a hepatocellular carcinoma in a subject comprising: a) obtaining a hepatic tissue sample from a subject having a subtype of HCC, selected from one or more of: bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC); hepatic stem cell-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC-HCC); hepatocytic progenitor-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HP-HCC); and, mature hepatocyte-like hepatocellular carcinoma (MH-HCC); b) conducting a laboratory analysis of the sample to determine the expression of one or more biomarkers of the miR-181 family of biomarkers in the sample, c) correlating the expression of the one or more biomarkers of the miR-181 family in the sample with the subtype of HCC in the subject, and d) determining the subtype of HCC in the sample from the correlating, wherein: i) over-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC); ii) over-expression of one or more of miR-181b-1 and miR-181b-2, and the absence or under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatic stem cell-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC-HCC); iii) under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-2, miR-181b-1, and miR-181b-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, and absence of over-expression and under-expression of miR-181a1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatocytic progenitor-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HP-HCC); and iv) under-expression of miR-181a-1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of mature hepatocyte-like hepatocellular carcinoma (MH-HCC). a) obtaining a hepatic tissue sample from a subject having a subtype of HCC, selected from one or more of: bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC); hepatic stem cell-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC-HCC); hepatocytic progenitor-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HP-HCC); and, mature hepatocyte-like hepatocellular carcinoma (MH-HCC); b) conducting a laboratory analysis of the sample to determine the expression of one or more biomarkers of the miR-181 family of biomarkers in the sample, c) correlating the expression of the one or more biomarkers of the miR-181 family in the sample with the subtype of HCC in the subject, and d) determining the subtype of HCC in the sample from the correlating, wherein: i) over-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC); ii) over-expression of one or more of miR-181b-1 and miR-181b-2, and the absence or under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatic stem cell-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC-HCC); iii) under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-2, miR-181b-1, and miR-181b-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, and absence of over-expression and under-expression of miR-181a1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatocytic progenitor-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HP-HCC); and iv) under-expression of miR-181a-1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of mature hepatocyte-like hepatocellular carcinoma (MH-HCC). i) over-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC); ii) over-expression of one or more of miR-181b-1 and miR-181b-2, and the absence or under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-1 and miR-181a-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatic stem cell-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HSC-HCC); iii) under-expression of one or more of miR-181a-2, miR-181b-1, and miR-181b-2, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, and absence of over-expression and under-expression of miR-181a1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of hepatocytic progenitor-like hepatocellular carcinoma (HP-HCC); and iv) under-expression of miR-181a-1, as compared to expression levels in non-tumor tissue, is indicative of mature hepatocyte-like hepatocellular carcinoma (MH-HCC).