Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer. If diagnosed early, HCC can often be cured.
In the early stages many people will experience no symptoms. Currently only around 20% of cases are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2.
People with liver scarring (cirrhosis) are at a higher risk of developing HCC, and so NICE guidance recommends that these patients are enrolled into screening programmes for regular checks.
All patients diagnosed with cirrhosis are invited to attend an ultrasound scan every six months to check for early signs of liver cancer.