Primary liver cancer is relatively rare in the UK, but it is increasing in number. Worldwide, it is the 6th most common cancer. The highest rates are in Eastern Asia. Around 4,300 primary liver cancers are diagnosed in the UK each year. It is more common in men than in women. Our risk of liver cancer gets higher as we get older. Almost 9 out of 10 cases are diagnosed in people over the age of 55 years.
Primary liver cancer is cancer that started from the cells of the liver. It is much more common in the UK to have cancer that has spread into the liver from somewhere else in the body (secondary liver cancer). If you have secondary liver cancer, this is not the right section for you. You need to look for information in the section of this website that relates to your type of primary cancer.