Of the epithelial tissue in the liver may arise: hepatocellular (liver cell) cancer, cholangiocellular (bile duct cancer), hepato-cholangiocellular (mixed) cancer, and undifferentiated carcinoma. Of non-epithelial tissue – hemangioendothelioma. Mixed malignant tumors include embryonal liver carcinoma and carcinosarcoma.

From a clinical point of view and by liver cancer symptoms, there are primary and secondary (metastatic, sprouting from an adjacent organ) liver cancers.

Primary liver cancer looks like a single or multiple dense formation, with whitish color without clear boundaries. Tumor quickly extends to the blood vessels and spreads over the liver, where forms metastases. With cancer, which develops against the background of liver cirrhosis, malignant tumor takes diffuse form without nodes formation. Metastatic liver cancer appears like a tumor metastasis with a primary localization in other organs.