Methods for determining heptocellular carcinoma subtype and detecting hepatic cancer stem cells

A method of determining a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subtype in a subject comprising

• a) obtaining a sample from the subject,
• b) analyzing the sample, by laboratory assay, for a change in the level of expression of one or more biomarkers relative to the level of expression of a corresponding biomarker in at least one control sample, wherein the biomarker consists of at least one of the biomarkers identified by miR-221 and miR-222, and
• c) correlating the change in the level of expression of the biomarkers, relative to the level of expression of the corresponding biomarker in the control sample, with the presence of bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC) subtype of HCC in the subject,
• d) determining a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subtype as bile duct epithelium-like hepatocellular carcinoma (BDE-HCC) subtype if biomarkers for at least one of miR-221 and miR-222 in the sample are high relative to the level of expression of the corresponding biomarker in normal liver as the at least one control sample, and determining a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) subtype as not BDE-HCC subtype if biomarkers for at least one of miR-221 and miR-222 in the sample are not high relative to the level of expression of the corresponding biomarker in normal liver as the at least one control sample.