‘Liver fibrosis raises risk of cancer by 3-4 times'
Lucknow: Liver fibrosis can increase the risk of cancers like colorectal, breast, and prostate by 3 to 4 times, warned Prof Gaurav Pandey from the department of gastroenterology, SGPGIMS.
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He spoke at a health talk titled "Fatty Liver – the Silent Epidemic" organised by the Club of Lucknow on Sunday. The event began with an address by chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh.
Prof Pandey said fatty liver disease, now called MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease), is often silent in the early stages and usually detected by chance. The liver, which weighs about 1.5 kg, processes everything we eat and drink.
Excess fat can lead to inflammation and fibrosis (scarring), which may progress to cirrhosis and even require a liver transplant.
"There is no cure for fibrosis—not in the liver, lungs or kidneys," he said.
In India, 1 in 3 people has fatty liver. Among diabetics, the risk rises to 60-70%. The diagnosis is based on fat in the liver plus one or more metabolic issues—such as high BMI, sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides or low HDL.
If moderate alcohol use is present along with metabolic issues, it's termed MASH. Consumption above 50 grams/day is classified as alcoholic liver disease.
Fatty liver with obesity also increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, pancreatitis and several cancers. Around 8-10% of patients may develop serious complications within 10–15 years. Yet liver enzymes may remain normal even when damage is severe—making early testing, like FIB-4, vital.
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"MASLD is largely a metabolic disorder, not just due to alcohol or poor diet," Pandey said. Dr Supriya Sharma from the gastro surgery department highlighted the urgent need for organ donors. India's deceased donor rate is just 0.5 per 10 lakh, compared to 90 in Western countries.
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