Scotland - Liver cancer death rate rises by 52%

Liver cancer death rate rises by 52%

Death rates from liver cancer increased by 52% in the last 10 years, with the disease killing 572 Scots last year.

But new figures from the NHS showed that the cancer mortality rate for all forms of the disease fell by 11% over the decade to 2015.

The mortality rate for breast cancer - the most commonly diagnosed cancer for women - fell by 21%
Lung cancer death rates were down by 15.1% and there was a 16.4% decrease for bowel cancer.

A total of 16,011 deaths in 2015 were caused by cancer, with the report noting that "although the rate of deaths due to cancer has decreased over this period, the actual number of deaths due to cancer has not".

This is thought to be due to the increase in older age groups within the population and the fact that cancer is a relatively common disease among the elderly.

Cancer mortality rates have fallen by 14% among men over the last 10 years. The decrease in the mortality rate for females was lower at 6%.

Deaths from liver cancer were up from 320 in 2005, with the mortality rate increasing by 45.6% in males and by 68.6% for females.

"The increase in the mortality rate of liver cancer over the last 10 years by 52% reflects the increase in incidence of this type of cancer," the report said.

"Survival from liver cancer is poor in most cases. The main risk factors for liver cancer are alcohol and infection with hepatitis B and C."

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