Can liver cancer cause cirrhosis?

Generally speaking, whether liver cancer causes cirrhosis depends on the specific condition. In most cases, liver cancer itself does not directly cause cirrhosis; however, certain types of liver cancer that share common causative factors with cirrhosis or damage liver structure may be associated with cirrhosis. The detailed analysis is as follows:

If liver cancer is caused by factors such as viral hepatitis or long-term alcohol consumption, and these factors have not yet led to cirrhosis, the primary manifestation is malignant proliferation of hepatocytes, which does not directly trigger diffuse liver fibrosis or formation of pseudolobules—meaning it does not directly lead to cirrhosis. In these patients, the liver structure usually has not undergone irreversible changes characteristic of cirrhosis, and the disease is mainly localized to the tumor site.

If liver cancer develops on the basis of pre-existing chronic liver disease that has already caused liver fibrosis, or if the growth of the tumor destroys a large number of normal hepatocytes and disrupts hepatic blood circulation, it may accelerate the process of liver fibrosis and indirectly promote the development of cirrhosis.

To prevent both liver cancer and cirrhosis, it is important to avoid long-term alcohol consumption, staying up late, and other liver-damaging behaviors in daily life. Regular liver examinations—such as liver function tests and liver ultrasound—should be performed to detect chronic liver diseases early and allow timely intervention.