Liver Cancer Cases Are On The Rise. Here’s How To Avoid Getting It
Cancer of the liver, seen in a radial cross-section abdominal scan. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double in the next 25 years, if no public health interventions occur, according to a new global study published in The Lancet. According to the study, there will be more than 1.5 million new cases of liver cancer globally by 2050, up from more than 850,000 in 2022.
Liver cancer is not just your typical run of the mill cancer. It currently ranks as the sixth most common cancer worldwide, and the third deadliest. Survival rates are also brim, with 5-year-survival rates ranging from 5-30%, according to HealthDay.
Although these alarming trends could represent an emerging global health crisis with profound implications for public health, there is a tremendous amount of hope. According to the aforementioned study, about 60% of liver cancer cases could be prevented by addressing a handful of risk factors. Since the cancer is responsible for killing 700,000 people globally every year, addressing these specific risk factors should be the focus of future public health interventions.
The major preventable drivers for liver cancer include Hepatitis B and C, alcohol and liver diseases associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction. The good news is vaccinations and anti-viral therapies can nearly eliminate one’s risk of getting cancer or even acquiring the viral infections of Hepatitis B and C. The Hepatitis B vaccine, for example, which is given usually as three doses during the first two years of life, provides protection against the virus for at least 95% of healthy adults and children, according to the World Health Organization. Similarly, taking an oral pill for 2-3 months can cure nearly 98% of those with Hepatitis C.
There could be significant barriers in decreasing liver cancer rates by 2050, particularly because of the high level of vaccine hesitancy that continues to exist globally that has deterred parents from vaccinating their children. Although vaccines remain a safe and effective measure to decrease the risk of disease and death, vaccination rates for many diseases are declining throughout the world. As an example, global coverage for the Hepatitis B vaccine is just 17% in the WHO African region according to the WHO, which is due to not just to access issues but also misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.
Another important preventable risk factor for liver cancer is alcohol. This drug is known to result in scarring of the liver, a condition known as cirrhosis which can then lead to liver cancer. Nearly 400 million individuals, or 7% of the world’s population aged 15 years and older, live with alcohol use disorder. Even drinking one glass of alcohol per day can increase one’s risk of developing liver cancer, according to a study published in Cancer Causes Control. Policy interventions such as taxes on alcoholic beverages, warning labels and bolstering education could significantly decrease alcohol intake and thus prevent liver cancers associated with alcohol intake.
Finally, liver diseases associated with obesity are becoming more prevalent in America and globally. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) affects 40% of individuals globally and is largely associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. This disease, and thus cancer that could occur from it, is largely preventable with a balanced diet, regular physical activity and weight control. Given how many people are overweight and obese globally, curbing obesity could significantly decrease the projected number of cancers that may occur by the year 2050.
Liver cancer is among one of the hardest cancers to treat once advanced, which is reflected in the low 5-year-survival rates. Treatment for it can also be costly and long-term, burdening healthcare systems worldwide. Without acting to increase vaccinations, enforcing alcohol regulations and promoting healthy food environments, the world risks watching a largely preventable disease inflict devastating social and economic consequences worldwide. Prevention isn’t just possible- it’s essential.