Liver cancer classification

Potentially resectable or transplantable

cancers
These cancers can be completely removed by surgery or treated with a liver
transplant and the patient is healthy enough for surgery. This would include
most stage I and some stage II cancers in the TNM system, in patients who
do not have cirrhosis or other serious medical problems. Only a small number
of patients with liver cancer have this type of tumor.

Unresectable cancers
Cancers that have not spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs but cannot
be completely removed by surgery are classified as unresectable. This
includes cancers that have spread throughout the liver or can’t be removed
safely because they are close to the area where the liver meets the main
arteries, veins, and bile ducts.

Inoperable with only local disease

The cancer is small enough and in the right place to be removed but you
aren’t healthy enough for surgery. Often this is because the non-cancerous
part of your liver is not healthy (because of cirrhosis, for example), and if the
cancer is removed, there might not be enough liver tissue left for it to function
properly. It could also mean that you have serious medical problems that
make surgery unsafe.
Advanced (metastatic) cancers
Cancers that have spread to lymph nodes or other organs are classified as
advanced. These would include stages IVA and IVB cancers in the TNM
system. Most advanced liver cancers cannot be treated with surgery.