In a study from International Agency for Research on Cancer, scientists found that primary liver cancer was among the top three causes of cancer death in 46 countries in 2020 and the number of people diagnosed with or dying from primary liver cancer per year could rise by more than 55% by 2040.
Liver cancer causes a huge burden of disease globally each year.
It is also largely preventable if control efforts are prioritized—major risk factors include hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcohol consumption, excess body weight, and metabolic conditions including type 2 diabetes.
In this analysis, the team described where liver cancer ranks among all cancer types for cancer diagnoses and deaths in nations across the world. They also present predictions of the future liver cancer burden by 2040.
The team extracted data on primary liver cancer cases and deaths from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s GLOBOCAN 2020 database, which produces cancer incidence and mortality estimates for 36 cancer types in 185 countries worldwide.
The predicted change in the number of cancer cases or deaths by the year 2040 was estimated using population projections produced by the United Nations.
The team showed that in 2020, an estimated 905,700 individuals were diagnosed with liver cancer and 830,200 died from liver cancer globally.
According to these data, liver cancer is now among the top three causes of cancer death in 46 countries and is among the top five causes of cancer death in nearly 100 countries including several high-income countries.
Liver cancer incidence and mortality rates were highest in Eastern Asia, Northern Africa, and South-Eastern Asia.
The team predicted the annual number of new cases and deaths from liver cancer will rise by more than 55% over the next 20 years, assuming current rates do not change.
The predicted rise in cases will increase the need for resources to manage the care of liver cancer patients.
The researchers were alarmed to find that the number of cases and deaths from liver cancer will continue to increase year after year.
They caution that in order to avoid this rise in cases and deaths, countries across the world must achieve at least a 3% annual decrease in liver cancer incidence and mortality rates through preventive measures.
These estimates provide a snapshot of the global burden of liver cancer and demonstrate the importance of improving and reinforcing liver cancer prevention measures.
If you care about liver health, please read studies about common causes of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 5 big myths about liver detoxing you should know.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about a drug combo to treat liver cancer, and results showing two or three alcoholic drinks a day could put your liver in danger.
The study was conducted by Isabelle Soerjomataram et al and published in the Journal of Hepatology.
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