What is the prognosis for metastatic liver cancer?

The five-year relative survival rate for metastatic liver cancer with regional spread to nearby organs and lymph nodes is 7 percent, as of 2015, according to the American Cancer Society. The survival rate for liver cancer with distant metastases to tissues and organs is just 2 percent.

Liver cancer diagnosed in its earlier stages and localized to the liver has a five-year survival rate of around 28 percent, notes the American Cancer Society. The overall five-year survival rate for all liver cancer is 15 percent. The grim prognosis of liver cancer is largely due to the fact that most people diagnosed with liver cancer also suffer from other liver diseases, including cirrhosis, which is often fatal.