Liver cancer to double worldwide, most of it preventable —study
New cases of liver cancer — the sixth most common form of the disease — will rise to 1.52 million a year from 870,000 if current trends continue, according to data from the Global Cancer Observatory published in the Lancet medical journal.
It is also the third deadliest of all cancers, with the study predicting it would take 1.37 million lives by the middle of the century.
However three out of five cases of liver cancer could be prevented, the international team of experts said.
The risk factors are drinking alcohol, viral hepatitis and a build-up of fat in the liver linked to obesity called MASLD, which was previously known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The viruses that cause hepatitis B and C are expected to remain the leading causes of liver cancer in 2050, according to the study, published on World Hepatitis Day.
Vaccination at birth is the best way to prevent hepatitis B, but vaccine coverage remains low in poorer countries including in sub-Saharan Africa, the study said.
Unless vaccination rates are increased, hepatitis B is expected to kill 17 million people between 2015 and 2030, it added.
Alcohol consumption is estimated to cause more than 21% of all cases of liver cancer by 2050, up more than two percentage points from 2022.
Cancer due to obesity-linked fat in livers will rise to 11%, also up more than two percentage points, the researchers calculated.
The large-scale study, which reviewed the available evidence on the subject, underscored "the urgent need for global action" on liver cancer, the authors said.
The experts called for more public awareness about the preventable danger of liver cancer, particularly by warning people with obesity or diabetes about fatty-liver disease in the United States, Europe and Asia. —Agence France-Presse
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
Indian top court orders roundup of stray dogs in Delhi
NEW DELHI, India - India's Supreme Court on Monday ordered the removal of tens of thousands of stray dogs from the capital, citing public safety concerns after a surge in dog bites. India is home to millions of stray dogs and deadly attacks, particularly on children and the elderly, are regularly reported by the city's media. At least 60,000 stray dogs live on the streets of Delhi, according to India's Livestock Census of 2012, the most recent data available. Some suggest that number to be now far higher, with large rival dog packs patrolling parks and residential neighborhoods across the city. The country accounts for more than a third of global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization, a crisis exacerbated by a lack of sterilization programs and legal restrictions on canine culling. The court asked city authorities to set up dog shelters within eight weeks, and maintain daily records of the canines captured. "What is important, and without which the entire exercise would go futile, not a single stray dog should be released," it said, which applies to Delhi and its satellite suburbs, a megacity home to some 30 million people. The court warned of action against animal activists who obstruct the removal of dogs. It also ordered a 24-hour helpline to be set up to report dog bites and officials must publicise locations where anti-rabies vaccines are available. Data tabled in the Indian parliament showed more than 3.7 million cases of dog bites and 54 suspected human deaths from rabies in 2024. Other estimates peg the number to be nearly twice as high, with Delhi alone accounting for roughly 2,000 cases of dog bites every day. In middle class neighborhoods, many of Delhi's strays are beloved by their residents despite lacking formal owners, with some dogs clothed in special canine jackets to keep warm during the winter. But they are also a hazard to humans, with Indian media regularly reporting on the mauling of young children by aggressive dog packs. — Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
5 days ago
- GMA Network
UK scientist's remains found on Antarctic glacier 66 years on
LONDON, United Kingdom - The remains of a British meteorologist who died in an Antarctic expedition in 1959 have been recovered six decades later from a glacier, the British Antarctic Survey said Monday. They were identified by DNA-testing as those of Dennis "Tink" Bell, who died aged 25 when he was working for the Falkland Islands Dependencies Survey, which became the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the UK's polar research institute. Bell died on Admiralty Bay on King George Island, located 120 kilometers (75 miles) off the coast of Antarctica on July 26, 1959. He was stationed on the island for a two-year assignment at a small UK research base. Bell and three other men had set out to climb and survey a glacier, when he fell through a crevasse — a deep chasm in the ice. His body was never recovered. The remains, which were exposed by a receding glacier, were found on January 19 by a team from the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. "This discovery brings closure to a decades-long mystery and reminds us of the human stories embedded in the history of Antarctic science," said BAS director Jane Francis. The bone fragments were carried to the Falkland Islands by the BAS Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough, and then brought to London for DNA testing. Alongside his remains, the Polish team also found over 200 personal items including radio equipment, a flashlight, ski poles, an inscribed wristwatch and a Swedish-brand knife. Bell's brother David Bell, who lives in Australia, said the discovery after 66 years left him and his sister "shocked and amazed". "Dennis was the oldest of three siblings and was my hero as he seemed to be able to turn his hand to anything," said his brother. Francis said the confirmation of the remains "is both a poignant and profound moment for all of us at British Antarctic Survey". Bell "was one of the many brave ... personnel who contributed to the early science and exploration of Antarctica under extraordinarily harsh conditions," she added. —Agence France-Presse
GMA Network
6 days ago
- GMA Network
Over 600 pilgrims hospitalized due to chlorine gas leak in Iraq
KARBALA, Iraq — More than 600 pilgrims in Iraq were briefly hospitalized with respiratory problems after inhaling chlorine as the result of a leak at a water treatment station, authorities said Sunday. The incident took place overnight on the route between the two Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, located in the center and south of Iraq respectively. This year, several million Shiite Muslim pilgrims are expected to make their way to Karbala, which houses the shrines of the revered Imam Hussein and his brother Abbas. There, they will mark the Arbaeen—the 40-day period of mourning during which Shiites commemorate the death of Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Mohammed. In a brief statement, Iraq's health ministry said "621 cases of asphyxia have been recorded following a chlorine gas leak in Karbala". "All have received the necessary care and left hospital in good health," it said. Security forces charged with protecting pilgrims meanwhile said the incident had been caused by "a chlorine leak from a water station on the Karbala-Najaf road." Much of Iraq's infrastructure is in disrepair due to decades of conflict and corruption, with adherence to safety standards often lax. In July, a massive fire at a shopping mall in the eastern city of Kut killed more than 60 people, many of whom suffocated in the toilets, according to authorities. — Agence France-Presse
