Key points
- Around 60pc of liver cancer cases are preventable
- Alcohol and metabolic diseases cause rising liver cancer cases
- MASLD affects 40pc of adults and often goes undetected
- Early screening and lifestyle changes can reduce cancer risk
ISLAMABAD: Liver cancer claims over 700,000 lives annually, yet around 60 per cent of cases could be prevented, according to a comprehensive analysis published in The Lancet.
The study highlights that tackling the main causes—hepatitis B, hepatitis C, alcohol-related liver disease, and liver disease linked to metabolic issues such as obesity—could significantly reduce cases.
Liver cancer cases to nearly double worldwide by 2050, says study
➡️ https://t.co/F6FIzCZiQd pic.twitter.com/NvvxxxFs8K— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) July 28, 2025
Globally, liver cancer ranks as the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death, with nearly 900,000 new cases each year. If current trends continue, annual diagnoses could rise to 1.5 million by 2050. Researchers predict that alcohol and metabolic-related liver disease will account for nearly a third of new cases by then, according to The New York Times.
Specialists have long observed this shift. Dr Brian P Lee, a physician at the University of Southern California, emphasised that liver cancer causes immense suffering but is largely preventable.
Advances in vaccination
While advances in vaccination, screening, and treatment have curbed viral hepatitis, the risks posed by heavy alcohol consumption and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) have been underestimated, noted Dr Ahmed Kaseb from MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Beta Blockers in Cirrhosis #MedEd #Medx #TIC2025 pic.twitter.com/mLPdMlKsog
— Nutrition Science (@NutrioSci) July 12, 2025
Most liver cancers develop in people with cirrhosis, a condition where irreversible scarring impairs liver function. Hepatitis B and C cause inflammation that can lead to cirrhosis, while alcohol and metabolic problems cause fat accumulation and inflammation, which also damage the liver.
Dr Lee described fat and inflammation as a “highway” leading to scarring, DNA damage, and eventually cancer.
Decreasing liver cancer
The study found that liver cancers from hepatitis B and C are expected to decrease from 68 per cent in 2022 to 63 per cent by 2050, while those linked to alcohol and MASLD will rise.
Globally, more than 300 million individuals are living with hepatitis B or C.
On #WorldHepatitisDay, explore a @LancetGastroHep Commission examining progress made towards hepatitis elimination & key themes that require further action to meet 2030 targets: https://t.co/NVWkJbYmm3 pic.twitter.com/QQOobCUov9
— The Lancet (@TheLancet) July 28, 2025
MASLD affects about 40 per cent of adults worldwide and is associated with obesity and Type 2 diabetes. A more severe form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), can silently progress to cirrhosis and cancer without symptoms.
Current liver cancer screening focuses on patients with viral hepatitis or cirrhosis, leaving many with MASH undetected.
Earlier screening
Dr Mary Rinella from the University of Chicago advocates for earlier screening at the primary care level, using tools like the Fib-4 score, especially in patients with diabetes or obesity plus other metabolic risks.
MASLD is reversible with lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and exercise, and new weight-loss medications also show promise in reversing liver scarring. Dr Rinella stressed that preventing liver injury reduces cancer risk.
Original Article
Distinct gut microbiota but common metabolomic signatures between viral and MASLD HCC contribute to outcomes of combination immunotherapy
Lee et al.#LiverXhttps://t.co/5hIJCEnotC pic.twitter.com/0werPzpK28
— HEPATOLOGY Journal (@HEP_Journal) July 26, 2025
Alcohol-related liver disease is rising too. Dr Lee’s recent research revealed that the risk among heavy drinkers in the US more than doubled between 1999 and 2020, possibly due to a changing heavy-drinking population—more women and more people with metabolic syndrome, who are more vulnerable to liver damage.
With rising alcohol use, obesity, and diabetes, experts expect liver disease and liver cancer rates to remain high in the coming years.
