Can I Survive Liver Cancer? What Is My Prognosis?

Survival rates show the percentage of people with a certain type and stage of cancer who survive it for a certain period of time after they are diagnosed. A 5-year survival rate is the percentage of people who are alive 5 years after they are diagnosed. These are the people it includes.

• Those who are free of disease (there are no signs of cancer)

• Those who have few or no signs or symptoms of cancer

• Those who are being treated for cancer

Many people included in the 5-year survival rate live much longer than 5 years after diagnosis. Also, because the statistic is based on people diagnosed and initially treated more than 5 years ago, it’s possible that the outlook could be better today. People who are newly diagnosed often have a more favorable outlook. That is because of improvements in treatment.

Survival rates are based on large groups of people. They cannot be used to predict what will happen to a particular person. No two people are exactly alike. Treatment and responses to treatment vary greatly.

The overall 5-year survival rate from liver cancer is about 7%. That is according to the American Cancer Society. People who have a liver transplant have a 5-year survival rate of about 60%. Fewer than 30% of people who have surgery for liver cancer have their cancer removed completely.