Particularly alarming data on the evolution of liver cancer have been announced by researchers, noting that several things will have to be done to fight the disease in the future.
According to studies, the number of people developing or dying from liver cancer worldwide will increase by more than 55% by 2040.
Almost 905.700 people were diagnosed with liver cancer and 830.200 died from the disease worldwide in 2020, according to a new analysis by scientists at the International Center for Research on Cancer (CIRC), which is part of the World Health Organization and has the headquartered in Lyon, south-east France.
At the current rate, 1,4 million people will be diagnosed and 1,3 million will die from liver cancer in 2040, according to the analysis.
This is estimated to represent an increase of 500.000 people, both in the number of cases and in the number of deaths, "unless we achieved a significant reduction in liver cancer rates through primary prevention," said CIRC epidemiologist Harriet Rumgey. , lead author of the study published in the Journal of Hepatology.
This research also revealed that liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in 46 countries – and is in the top five in almost 100 countries.
The number of cases and deaths is highest in East and Southeast Asia as well as North Africa.
"This particular cancer is largely preventable if control efforts are made — the main risk factors are hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcohol consumption, being overweight and metabolic conditions, including type 2 diabetes." , study co-author Isabel Sorgiomataram said in a statement.
The study's bleak forecast points to the need to boost progress on fighting hepatitis B and C, which has been stalled by the pandemic Covid-19, the researchers said, calling for more vaccinations, testing and treatment.
Rumgey also advocated taking "measures aimed at reducing alcohol consumption by the population and drastically limiting the increase in the incidence of diabetes and obesity".