Global liver cancer cases could rise by 50% by 2050
A recent Lancet Commission report found that at least 60% of liver cancer cases worldwide come from preventable causes—like hepatitis infections, drinking alcohol, and obesity-related liver disease (MASLD).
The biggest rise is in severe MASLD (also called MASH), linked to increasing obesity in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Liver cancer cases could jump to 1.52 million
Liver cancer is already the sixth most common and third leading cause of death from cancer. Cases could jump from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million by 2050.
MASH- and alcohol-related cases are rising, while those tied to hepatitis B and C might drop a bit.
MASH-related liver cancer on the rise
The study suggests that cutting new liver cancer cases by just a few percent each year—through things like better hepatitis B vaccination, smarter alcohol policies, and tackling obesity—could prevent nine to 17 million new cases of liver cancer and save eight million to 15 million lives by 2050.