Liver cancer statistics

Cases

New cases of liver cancer each year, 2017-2019 average, UK.

Deaths

Deaths from liver cancer, 2017-2019, UK.

Survival

Survive liver cancer for 10 or more years, 2013-2017, England

Prevention

Liver cancer cases are preventable, UK, 2015

 

  • There are around 6,600 new liver cancer cases in the UK every year, that's 18 every day (2017-2019).
  • Liver cancer is the 17th most common cancer in the UK, accounting for 2% of all new cancer cases (2017-2019).
  • In females in the UK, liver cancer is the 20th most common cancer, with around 2,200 new cases every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, liver cancer is the 13th most common cancer, with around 4,300 new cases every year (2017-2019).
  • Incidence rates for liver cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 85 to 89 (2017-2019).
  • Each year more than 4 in 10 (43%) of all new liver cancer cases in the UK are diagnosed in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1990s, liver cancer incidence rates have increased by more than two-and-a-half times (177%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by around two-and-a-half times (152%), and rates in males have increased by more than two-and-a-half times (180%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, liver cancer incidence rates have increased by more than two-fifths (42%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by more than a third (36%), and rates in males have increased by more than two-fifths (44%) (2017-2019).
  • In females, the most common specific type of liver cancer in the UK is intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma, in males the most common specific type of liver cancer in the UK is hepatocellular carcinoma (2016-2018).
  • Most liver cancers occur in the liver cells and the intrahepatic bile ducts.
  • Liver cancer incidence rates are projected to rise by 6% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
  • There could be around 9,700 new cases of liver cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
  • Liver cancer incidence rates in England in females are 78% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least, and in males are 89% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least (2013-2017).
  • Around 1,200 cases of liver cancer each year in England are linked with deprivation (around 390 in females and around 810 in males).
  • Incidence rates for liver cancer are higher in the Asian and Black ethnic groups, but lower in people of mixed or multiple ethnicity, compared with the White ethnic group, in England (2013-2017). See our publication Cancer Incidence by Broad Ethnic Group for more details.
  • An estimated 5,000 people who had previously been diagnosed with liver cancer were alive in the UK at the end of 2010.

See more in-depth liver cancer incidence statistics

  • There are around 5,800 liver cancer deaths in the UK every year, that's 16 every day (2017-2019).
  • Liver cancer is the 8th most common cause of cancer death in the UK, accounting for 3% of all cancer deaths (2017-2019).
  • In females in the UK, liver cancer is the 10th most common cause of cancer death, with around 2,300 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • In males in the UK, liver cancer is the 8th most common cause of cancer death, with around 3,600 deaths every year (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for liver cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 85 to 89 (2017-2019).
  • Each year half of all liver cancer deaths (50%) in the UK are in people aged 75 and over (2017-2019).
  • Since the early 1970s, liver cancer mortality rates have more than tripled (228%) in the UK. Rates in females have around tripled (214%), and rates in males have more than tripled (222%) (2017-2019).
  • Over the last decade, liver cancer mortality rates have increased by more than two-fifths (44%) in the UK. Rates in females have increased by almost half (45%), and rates in males have increased by more than two-fifths (42%) (2017-2019).
  • Mortality rates for liver cancer are generally similar or higher in people of non-White minority ethnicity, compared with the White ethnic group, in England and Wales (2017-2019). See the publication Mortality from leading causes of death by ethnic group, England and Wales.
  • Liver cancer mortality rates are projected to rise by 10% in the UK between 2023-2025 and 2038-2040.
  • There could be around around 9,500 deaths of liver cancer every year in the UK by 2038-2040, projections suggest.
  • Liver cancer deaths in England are more common in people living in the most deprived areas.

See more in-depth liver cancer mortality statistics

  • Almost 1 in 10 (8.0%) people diagnosed with liver cancer in England survive their disease for ten years or more, it is predicted (2013-2017).
  • Liver cancer five-year survival in England is higher in males than females (2016-2020).
  • Around a third (34.3%) of people in England diagnosed with liver cancer aged 15-44 survive their disease for five years or more, compared with around 5 in 100 (6.0%) people diagnosed aged 75-99 (2016-2020).
  • Around a tenth (11.0%) of people in England diagnosed with liver cancer in the least deprived group survive their disease for five years or more, compared with almost 3 in 20 (13.2%) people in the most deprived group (2015-2019).
  • Five-year relative survival for liver cancer is below the European average in England and Scotland but similar to the European average in Wales and Northern Ireland. Further details on cancer survival in Europe can be found on the EUROCARE website.
  • For liver cancer, like other cancer sites, survival trends reflect a combination of changes in treatment and stage distribution. These factors themselves can vary by age, sex and deprivation.
  • Further survival statistics by stage can be found on the Early Diagnosis Data Hub and information on treatments for cancer can be found here.
  • Further one-, five- and ten-year survival statistics can be found on the Cancer Statistics Dashboard.

  • A person’s risk of developing cancer depends on many factors, including age, genetics, and exposure to risk factors (including some potentially avoidable lifestyle factors).
  • 1 in 130 UK females and nearly 1 in 76 UK males will be diagnosed with liver cancer in their lifetime (born in 1961).
  • 49% of liver cancer cases in the UK are preventable.
  • 10% of liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by infections.
  • 20% of liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by smoking.
  • 7% of liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by alcohol drinking.
  • 23% of liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by overweight and obesity.
  • Less than 1% of liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by workplace exposures.

See more in-depth liver cancer risk statistics

See the interactive cancer treatment online tool produced by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) in partnership with Cancer Research UK (CRUK). This presents, for the first time, population-based statistics on chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgical tumour resections in England, by demographic factors and geography.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the many organisations across the UK which collect, analyse, and share the data which we use, and to the patients and public who consent for their data to be used. Find out more about the sources which are essential for our statistics.