Key points from article :
Researchers from the Lancet Commission on liver cancer warn that three in five liver cancer cases can be prevented through simple lifestyle changes like reducing alcohol intake, maintaining a healthy weight, and ensuring vaccination against hepatitis.
The study projects that new liver cancer cases will rise from 0.87 million in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, with deaths climbing from 760,000 to 1.37 million.
By 2050, 21 percent of liver cancers are expected to be caused by alcohol, while obesity-related cases may more than double, reaching 11 percent. A severe form of fatty liver disease, now called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is also predicted to cause 11 percent of cases.
The research was led by academics in Hong Kong, involving Fudan University and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was published in The Lancet.
The team emphasized that lifestyle measures—such as eating a balanced diet, staying active, and reducing alcohol—could save many lives, especially since liver cancer remains one of the hardest cancers to treat, with survival rates often below 30 percent.
Improving early detection, tackling obesity, cutting alcohol consumption, and testing for hepatitis are essential steps to prevent the steep rise in liver cancer worldwide.
