Study Suggests Preventable Factors for Liver Cancer
A recent study highlights that up to 60% of liver cancer cases worldwide might be avoided through measures like reducing obesity, cutting down on alcohol intake, and boosting hepatitis vaccinations.
The Lancet Commission’s findings indicate that many liver cancer cases could be preventable if we manage alcohol consumption, fatty liver disease, and levels of viral hepatitis B and C effectively.
The commission has proposed several strategies for policymakers, estimating these could lead to a reduction in liver cancer incidence by 2% to 5% annually by 2050, potentially preventing between 9 million and 17 million new liver cancer cases and saving up to 15 million lives.
Prof Jian Zhou from Fudan University, who led the research, mentioned that liver cancer poses a growing public health challenge globally. It’s one of the more difficult cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates varying between about 5% and 30%. Without immediate actions to change the trend, we might see cases and deaths nearly double in the next 25 years.
Liver cancer currently ranks as the sixth most common cancer worldwide and is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. The number of deaths is anticipated to rise from 760,000 in 2022 to around 1.37 million by 2050.
Previous analyses have suggested that new cases of liver cancer could near double from 870,000 in 2022 to approximately 1.52 million by 2050. This increase is mainly due to population growth and aging demographics, particularly in Africa. At this moment, over 40% of global liver cancer cases are found in China, largely due to high hepatitis B infection rates.
Another significant and rapidly growing cause of liver cancer globally is fatty liver disease, which is expected to rise alongside increasing obesity rates.
It’s estimated that one-third of the global population suffers from metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This condition involves fat accumulation in the liver but can be managed through a balanced diet, physical activity, and potential weight loss.
While only 20% to 30% of individuals with MASLD progress to the more severe metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), which can lead to liver cancer, the percentage of liver cancer cases linked to MASH is predicted to increase from 8% in 2022 to 11% by 2050.
The growth of liver cancer cases linked to alcohol consumption is also concerning, expected to rise from 19% in 2022 to 21% in 2050. Conversely, the incidence of hepatitis B-related liver cancer cases is anticipated to decline from 39% to 37%, and those related to hepatitis C are expected to decrease from 29% to 26%.
Prof Hashem B El-Serag from Baylor College of Medicine noted that liver cancer was once primarily associated with viral hepatitis or alcohol-related conditions. However, the rising obesity rates now pose a heightened risk, largely due to increased fat surrounding the liver.
The commission recommends that governments enhance HBV vaccination efforts, implement universal screening for adults, introduce minimum pricing for alcohol and sugar taxes, label products to raise awareness, invest in early detection of liver disease, and improve palliative care.
Prof Valérie Paradis from Beaujon Hospital emphasized the urgent need to raise societal awareness about the increasing severity of liver cancer instances. With distinct risk factors compared to other cancers, targeted prevention strategies could be highly effective.
Dr. Matt Hoare, an associate professor in hepatology at the University of Cambridge, remarked that liver cancer’s death rates continue to grow, and its causes vary by region. He pointed out that public health policy changes have been effective elsewhere, citing Japan’s success in reducing its liver cancer death rate through preventive measures. His research team aims to discover new ways to identify patients at risk of liver cancer through liver DNA sequencing.
