Three out of five liver cancer cases preventable, says study

Three in five liver cancer cases happen due to preventable risk factors including fatty liver, alcohol, and viral hepatitis, according to a latest analysis done by The Lancet Commission on liver cancer published on Monday, which also adds obesity-linked cancer cases are on the rise.

- Rhythma Kaul

The majority of liver cancer cases can be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - previously called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), it said,

Increasing frequency of cases

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it’s the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050.

This is primarily due to population growth and ageing populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa, as per the analyses.

The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050, according to the analysis.

“Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend,” said Prof Jian Zhou of Fudan University in China, in a statement.