Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Stage 4 MeansSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentLife Expectancy
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Stage 4 Means
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Life Expectancy
Liver cancer is relatively rare, with under 42,000 cases being diagnosed each year.
It is more common in males than females and among those of Black, Native American, Hispanic, and Asian or Pacific Islander descent.The overall five-year survival rate is 3%.
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What Stage 4 Liver Cancer Means
Staging helps determine how far cancer has spread and what treatments might be useful. The stages of liver cancer are based on three factors:
Further staging (stage grouping) uses numbers to indicate how many tumors, lymph nodes, or other organs are involved. This number is applied to each designation (e.g., T1 means one tumor).
For N and M, a “0” means no spread beyond the liver, while a “1” or higher would mean that one or more lymph nodes or other organs are involved (e.g., N1 means one lymph node and M1 means spread beyond the liver).
Based on these numbers,stage 4liver cancer would be classified as one of two types:
There are other staging systems, so it is important to have a healthcare provider explain which system is being used and the meaning of the stage. Also, there may be cancers that don’t fall neatly into one of the predefined stages.
In the first stages of liver cancer, there may not be any symptoms.
Further, liver cancer signs and symptoms aren’t always directly related to the stage of the cancer. How the disease affects each person is highly individualized.
Some of the most common symptoms of liver cancer are:
In some cases, a liver cancer tumor may start to produce hormones. Those hormones may cause signs and symptoms that affect other organs and systems besides the liver. These can include:
Several risk factors may contribute to the development of liver cancer. Risk factors are conditions, behaviors, or other factors that make a person more susceptible to developing a disease of the liver. These include:
It’s estimated that 40% of liver cancer is associated with hepatitis B, 40% withhepatitis C, 11% with alcohol consumption, and 10% from other causes.
For confirmation, other tests are needed. Multiphasiccomputerized tomography (CT)ormagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)with contrast is recommended to confirm the diagnosis and stage.
Blood tests will includeliver function teststo determine how well the liver is working and screening for alpha-fetoprotein, a tumor marker frequently associated with liver cancer.
Aliver biopsymay be done, in which a piece of liver tissue is removed to examine for evidence of disease.
Stage 4 liver cancer is not curable. However, treatment can help manage its symptoms and progression.
The treatment for stage 4 liver cancer will depend greatly upon the stage of cancer and how healthy the person who has cancer is otherwise.
Can Surgery Cure Stage 4 Liver Cancer?Likely not, since the cancer has already spread to other areas. A liver transplant is generally not an option for stage 4. Surgery to remove parts of the liver (such as a partial hepatectomy or segmentectomy) will also likely not be an option for stage 4.
Can Surgery Cure Stage 4 Liver Cancer?
Likely not, since the cancer has already spread to other areas. A liver transplant is generally not an option for stage 4. Surgery to remove parts of the liver (such as a partial hepatectomy or segmentectomy) will also likely not be an option for stage 4.
Medications
In most cases, the therapy offered will include medications, plus treatments that help with symptoms and/or pain.
One type of therapy for stage 4 liver cancer is using medications that activate the patient’s immune system. This is calledimmunotherapy. The first line of therapy for stage 4 liver cancer might include Tecentriq (atezolizumab) and Avastin (bevacizumab).
If the first choice of medications isn’t working or isn’t an option, several other drugs might be used. In some cases, these drugs might only be used after one or more drugs have already been tried and have proven unhelpful:
Other medications may be given for stage 4 liver cancer if the first-line therapies have not worked to address the cancer.
Radiation Therapy
The use of high-energy particles is another potential treatment for stage 4 liver cancer. Two types that might be used are external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) andstereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT).
EBRT is similar to an X-ray. The treatment lasts a few minutes, but it may need to be repeated daily over a series of weeks. SBRT is a treatment technique that has been developed more recently and may help preserve healthy liver tissue.
Clinical Trials
Clinical trials for new treatments, which might be medications but could also include radiation therapy or new ways to deliver approved medications, might also be an option for stage 4 liver cancer.
People should ask their healthcare providers about the availability of clinical trials and the potential to get involved in one. SearchingClinicalTrials.govorNIH Clinical Research Studiesmay also prove helpful.
CopingEngaging with a mental health professional and others such as social workers and patient advocacy groups can help address the emotional needs of patients and their families.In particular, patient advocacy groups can help with everything from finding a healthcare provider for a second opinion to in-person or online support groups for patients, families, and caregivers to finding out more about treatment options.CancerCareand theAmerican Liver Foundationare two organizations that provide helpful information and services.
Coping
Engaging with a mental health professional and others such as social workers and patient advocacy groups can help address the emotional needs of patients and their families.In particular, patient advocacy groups can help with everything from finding a healthcare provider for a second opinion to in-person or online support groups for patients, families, and caregivers to finding out more about treatment options.CancerCareand theAmerican Liver Foundationare two organizations that provide helpful information and services.
Engaging with a mental health professional and others such as social workers and patient advocacy groups can help address the emotional needs of patients and their families.
In particular, patient advocacy groups can help with everything from finding a healthcare provider for a second opinion to in-person or online support groups for patients, families, and caregivers to finding out more about treatment options.
CancerCareand theAmerican Liver Foundationare two organizations that provide helpful information and services.
Stage 4 Liver Cancer Life Expectancy
The benchmark ofcancer prognosisis usually the five-yearsurvival rate. This is the number of patients that have survived five years after a diagnosis. It differs based on the stage of the cancer.
Data on stage 4 liver cancer life expectancy comes from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program, part of the National Cancer Institute. SEER doesn’t use cancer stages 1 through 4 but instead classifies cancers into localized, regional, and distant spread. Stage 4 liver cancer falls under the distant group.
How Long Can You Live With Stage 4 Liver Cancer?How long you can live with stage 4 liver cancer depends on your health, whether or not you are treated, and factors specific to your disease. The overall five-year survival rate is 3%. For males, it is 2.2%, and for females, it is 4.0%.Without treatment, the prognosis is notably worse. The median life expectancy for stage 4 liver cancer that is left untreated is less than four months.
How Long Can You Live With Stage 4 Liver Cancer?
How long you can live with stage 4 liver cancer depends on your health, whether or not you are treated, and factors specific to your disease. The overall five-year survival rate is 3%. For males, it is 2.2%, and for females, it is 4.0%.Without treatment, the prognosis is notably worse. The median life expectancy for stage 4 liver cancer that is left untreated is less than four months.
Statistics can be helpful, but they must also be put into perspective. Not every possibility is taken into account for five-year survival rates, so each patient should work with a healthcare team to understand their individual prognosis.
Summary
Causes of liver cancer include liver damage related to cirrhosis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Diagnosis is made using multiple tests (blood, MRI, ultrasound, CT, and liver biopsy). Treatment is based on several factors and may include immunotherapy and other medication, radiation, and clinical trial participation.
The overall five-year survival rate is 3%.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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