Liver Cancer Classification

Abstract

The current classification of primary adult liver cancer distinguishes two main diagnostic categories: hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma. These are very heterogeneous tumors characterized by different morphological and clinical features, reflecting the variety of oncological agents and the complex pathways to tumorigenesis. Due to the copious amount of data collected from phenotypical and molecular studies, the classification of liver cancer is moving from the traditional approach, based on morphological features, to a more functional approach, oriented to the cell of origin and integrating morphological, immunophenotypical, and molecular characteristic, behavior, and, possibly, treatment sensitivity.