How Best To Address The Increase In Liver Cancer Deaths

How Best To Address The Increase In Liver Cancer Deaths
John LaMattina, Contributor

As revealed by the National Cancer Institute in its recently published Annual Report to the Nation, death rates due to cancer are decreasing. Researchers found that overall cancer death rates decreased during 2003-2012 by an average of 1.8% per year for men, 1.4% per year for women and 2% per year for those aged 0-19. Progress is being made against all forms of cancer–prostate, breast, colon, lung, etc. There is, however, one exception. In contrast to overall trends, U.S. deaths due to liver cancer have increased. From 2008 to 2012, liver cancer increased an average of 2.3% per year overall, and the liver cancer-related death rate increased by an average of 2.8% per year among men and 3.4% per year among women.

“Liver cancer incidence is increasing, and this is due to a high prevalence of hepatitis C and the inability of many people to have access to the new drugs that are used to treat it, so even though we have these new treatments for hepatitis C, it is not expected that the prevalence of the disease will drop until 2025,” says Reddy.

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