This page was translated from Chinese by AI. If anything differs, the Chinese version prevails.
간암 · 간이식 · Liver cancer and liver transplantation · ICD-10 C22
Liver cancer and liver transplant: treatment options in Korea
Korea's 5-year relative survival for liver cancer is 40.4%, about 2.8 times China's (14.4%). Korea is a big country for living-donor liver transplant: Asan Medical Center in Seoul did Korea's first in 1994 and has performed 7,392 in total, reported by the media as the most in the world. Korea runs a national liver cancer screening every 6 months for patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cirrhosis.
Why consider Korea
- 5-year relative survival 40.4% (diagnosed 2019–2023)[1]
- National cancer screening: people aged 40 and over at high risk of liver cancer (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, cirrhosis) have a liver ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein test every 6 months[3]
- Asan Medical Center in Seoul performed Korea's first living-donor liver transplant in December 1994[4]
- Asan Medical Center in Seoul has performed 7,392 living-donor liver transplants in total, reported by the media as the most in the worldhospital or media claim[4]
- The modified right-lobe living-donor liver transplant developed by Professor Sung-Gyu Lee of Asan Medical Center in 1998 has become one of the standard techniques used worldwide[4]
- Overall liver transplant survival at Asan Medical Center in Seoul: 98% at 1 year, 90% at 3 years, 89% at 10 yearshospital or media claim[4]
Korea vs. China
Korean figures are for patients diagnosed in 2019–2023 and Chinese figures for patients diagnosed in 2019–2021. Both are 5-year relative survival rates published by each country's national cancer center. The years and methods are not identical, so only the rough gap is meaningful. Relative survival is compared with the general population of the same age, so values above 100% can occur. Korea's high survival for stomach and colorectal cancer is closely linked to national cancer screening, which finds more cancers early.
Treatments
Hepatectomy Surgery
The part of the liver containing the tumor is removed. The main surgical treatment when liver function is sufficient and the tumor can be removed completely. More and more hospitals do it minimally invasively with laparoscopy or a robot.Living-donor liver transplant Surgery
A healthy relative donates part of their liver to the patient. The liver can regenerate, so both the donor's remaining liver and the transplanted liver gradually grow. Used for severe cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer that meets transplant criteria.Radiofrequency ablation Surgery
Guided by ultrasound or CT, an electrode needle is inserted through the skin into the tumor and the tumor is destroyed with heat. No incision; used for smaller liver cancers.Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) Surgery
A thin catheter is passed through the artery in the groin up to the hepatic artery that feeds the tumor, and chemotherapy is injected while the vessel is blocked, starving the tumor of blood. Often used for intermediate-stage liver cancer that cannot be operated on.Hospitals
Asan Medical Center, Seoul 서울아산병원
7,392 living-donor liver transplants in total; the hospital that performed Korea's first living-donor liver transplantSeoul National University Hospital 서울대학교병원
Cancer Hospital liver cancer center; the surgical team specializes in liver transplant and robotic liver resectionSamsung Medical Center 삼성서울병원
Newsweek 2026 oncology: 3rd in the world; has a liver cancer center and an organ transplant centerSeverance Hospital, Yonsei University 세브란스병원
Transplant surgery; specializes in high-difficulty liver transplant and ABO-incompatible liver transplantKorea University Anam Hospital 고려대학교 안암병원
Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery; organ transplant centerDoctors
Sung-Gyu Lee 이승규 · Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Developed the "modified right-lobe living-donor liver transplant" in 1998; it has become one of the standard techniques used worldwide[4]; In March 2000 completed the world's first "two donors, one recipient" living-donor liver transplant (two donors each give part of a liver to one patient); by the time of the report it had been used in 638 patients[4]Shin Hwang 황신 · Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver cancer, liver transplant, liver disease, perihilar cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder cancer[5]Gi-Won Song 송기원 · Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver cancer and liver tumors, liver transplant, biliary tract cancer, ABO-incompatible liver transplant, laparoscopic donor liver retrieval[5]Kwang-Woong Lee 이광웅 · Seoul National University Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver cancer, liver transplant, hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, liver metastases, end-stage liver disease, ABO-incompatible liver transplant[6]Suk Kyun Hong 홍석균 · Seoul National University Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver transplant, liver cancer, robotic surgery, hepatocellular carcinoma, end-stage liver disease, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma[6]Jong Man Kim 김종만 · Samsung Medical Center
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver transplant, liver cancer, benign liver tumors, laparoscopic surgery, living liver donor surgery[7]Gyu-Seong Choi 최규성 · Samsung Medical Center
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver transplant, liver cancer, benign liver tumors, laparoscopic surgery, surgery for liver metastases[7]Dong Jin Joo 주동진 · Severance Hospital, Yonsei University
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver cancer, cirrhosis, acute and end-stage liver failure, advanced liver cancer, ABO-incompatible liver transplant, high-difficulty liver transplant, liver resection, laparoscopic liver resection[8]Jae Geun Lee 이재근 · Severance Hospital, Yonsei University
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver transplant, liver resection, liver cancer, cirrhosis, laparoscopic liver resection, donor liver retrieval surgery, polycystic liver[8]Dong Sik Kim 김동식 · Korea University Anam Hospital
Specialties listed on the hospital website: liver cancer, liver transplant, perihilar cholangiocarcinoma[9]Coming to Korea for treatment
Documents to prepare: Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT or MRI, Liver function and clotting tests, Tumor markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), Hepatitis B and C test results, Pathology result (if a needle biopsy was done), When living-donor liver transplant is considered, the donor also needs tests such as blood type and liver CT
Time in Korea: about 10~45 daysestimate, of which in hospital about 7~30 days
After returning home: After liver resection or ablation, imaging and alpha-fetoprotein are checked regularly; after a liver transplant, anti-rejection drugs must be taken for a long time with regular checks, and follow-up is more frequent in the first months.
FAQ
- Does liver cancer always need a liver transplant?
- Not necessarily. When liver function is good and the tumor can be removed completely, liver resection is the first choice; small tumors can be treated with radiofrequency ablation; intermediate-stage liver cancer that cannot be operated on is often treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Liver transplant is mainly for patients with severe cirrhosis and poor liver function whose tumors meet transplant criteria. The doctor decides from the imaging and liver function.
- Is living-donor liver transplant safe for the donor?
- The donor has to undergo a major operation with some risk, so hospitals run thorough tests on donors and only people whose body and liver are suitable may donate. The liver regenerates, and the remaining liver of the donor usually grows back to close to its original size.
- Why is liver cancer survival higher in Korea than in China?
- Official data show 40.4% in Korea and 14.4% in China. There is more than one reason; one is that Korea runs a national liver cancer screening every 6 months for patients with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and cirrhosis, so cancers are more often found early. The years and methods of the two countries' statistics are not identical, so only the rough gap is meaningful.[1][2][3]