October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month
Join with AACR to find better ways to prevent and treat liver cancer
Primary liver cancer occurs in adults in two forms—hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common type of adult primary liver cancer. It is relatively rare in the United States. However, the incidence of liver cancer is rising, principally in relation to the spread of hepatitis C.
The liver is one of the largest organs in the body. It filters harmful substances from the blood, produces bile that helps in the digestion of fats, and stores sugar that the body uses for energy.
The National Cancer Institute estimated that 42,340 new cases of liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2026. Approximately 30,980 people are estimated to die from these cancers. The five-year relative survival rate is 21.9%.
Having hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or cirrhosis are significant risk factors for adult primary liver cancer. It is more common in men than women. In the United States, liver cancer is also more common among American Indians/Alaska Natives than among other population groups.
Liver Cancer Survivor Stories
Lorrinda Gray-Davis of Temple, Texas, was 49 when she was diagnosed with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common liver cancer type, in July 2017. In August 2018, she had a lifesaving liver transplant and has devoted herself to organ transplant advocacy and outreach ever since. Read her story in the AACR’s magazine, Cancer Today,
Anibal Torres of Humacao, Puerto Rico, was struggling with liver cancer when he enrolled in an immunotherapy clinical trial. His tumor has shrunk, and he says, “The treatment is working. Look at me. I’m living proof.” Read his story in the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2024.
More on liver cancer
- Alan Wang became an outspoken advocate for greater awareness, screening, and public health education surrounding hepatitis B and liver cancer prevention after discovering his own family’s history with hepatitis B. For years, the fact that he and his siblings tested positive for hepatitis B went unspoken. They would later come to realize that three of their uncles who had died from liver cancer had also been living with hepatitis B. Now, he openly encourages Asian communities to learn about the disease and seek testing. Read about his story in the AACR Cancer Disparities Progress Report 2026.
- While a report in the Lancet projects the number of new liver cancer diagnoses worldwide to nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, it also outlines several behavioral shifts that could prevent most cases. For example, getting the hepatitis B vaccines, limiting alcohol use, and exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet could all help to reduce the risk of liver cancer. Learn more in Cancer Today.
- In the SURF trial, researchers found that radiofrequency ablation—a minimally invasive procedure that uses heat to destroy cancer cells—may achieve similar results with fewer side effects and a shorter recovery time than having surgery to remove the tumor in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Learn more about the trial in Cancer Today.
- Patients with liver cancer who received immune checkpoint inhibitors before surgery had similar outcomes to patients who received surgery upfront, according to results from a retrospective study published in the AACR journal Cancer Research Communications. This includes those who would not have been eligible for surgery by conventional criteria. Learn more about the potential implications of these findings for patients on Cancer Research Catalyst, the AACR’s official blog.
- On Believe In Progress: An AACR Foundation Podcast, Andrea Wilson Woods describes how the loss of her sister to cancer motivated her to start Blue Faery: The Adrienne Wilson Liver Cancer Organization to help patients and families navigate liver cancer.
How AACR supports Liver Cancer Research
Sponsoring Scientific Meetings
In December 2026, the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in the Pathogenesis and Immune Therapies of Liver Cancer will bring together international leaders in liver cancer research and clinical care to address critical gaps in knowledge and management across disease subtypes. The meeting will explore the risk factors driving hepatocellular carcinoma, the evolving role of immunotherapies in treating liver cancer, emerging molecular and immune-based treatment strategies, health disparities related to liver cancer, and more.
Supporting Research Grants
AACR has recently awarded research grants to investigators pursuing promising research in liver cancers.
- Brent Stockwell, PhD, of Columbia University, received an AACR-Mark Foundation Chemistry in Cancer Research Grant in 2026 to study a small molecule drug for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Siva Karthik Varanasi, PhD, of UMass Chan Medical School, received an AACR Career Development Award in 2026 for his research examining how bile acid changes modulate T cell responses during liver metastasis.
- Longyue Lily Cao, MD, PhD, of Boston Children’s Hospital, received an AACR-Genentech Immuno-oncology Research Fellowship in 2024. Her work is focused on studying the therapeutic benefits of innate immunity stimuli in hepatocellular carcinoma.
For more information
Please see our page on liver cancer for more information on this disease and its prevention, screening, and treatment.
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