Liver Cancer Cases Could Nearly Double by 2050, Warns Lancet

Spread love

Global liver cancer cases may surge from 870,000 to 1.5 million annually by 2050, says report

By TRH Health Desk

New Delhi, August 15, 2025 — A new report from The Lancet Commission has issued an urgent warning that global annual cases of liver cancer could almost double — from 870,000 in 2022 to more than 1.5 million by 2050 — unless decisive preventive measures are taken.

The Commission highlights that at least 60% of liver cancer cases are preventable through tackling key risk factors, including hepatitis B and C infections, alcohol use, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic disease (MASLD). Sustaining a 2–5% annual reduction in incidence could prevent up to 17.3 million new cases and save around 15.1 million lives over the next 25 years.

China, which accounts for 42.4% of global liver cancer cases, has managed only a 0.3% annual decline in incidence since 1990. In contrast, Europe and North America are seeing annual increases of 1–3%, driven largely by rising obesity, diabetes, and alcohol-related liver disease.

Africa faces the steepest projected rise due to rapid population growth and high hepatitis prevalence.

Prevention measures — such as universal HBV birth-dose vaccination, improved screening for cirrhosis, and targeted surveillance in MASLD and MASH patients — are critical, the report says. It calls for global consensus on liver cancer staging, better tools for early detection, and stronger international collaboration.

The findings were released ahead of World Hepatitis Day, underscoring the urgency of dismantling financial, social, and systemic barriers to hepatitis elimination and liver cancer prevention.

“Liver cancer is a global health concern, yet there are substantial regional differences in staging systems and multiple guidelines for management. The Commission calls for urgent international consensus-building and collaborative research to narrow regional gaps and harmonise standards of care globally,” said The Lancet in its report.

It also stated that “the message of the Commission—that strengthening prevention, fostering collaboration, and removing social and knowledge barriers can help avert the rapid rise of liver cancer—is one of possibility.”

“Taking action to realise that possibility is vital for the health of many millions of people worldwide over the next 25 years,” added the report.

Follow The Raisina Hills on WhatsApp, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn