Steep increase in liver cancer in Australia

A global study on liver cancer has revealed a striking increase in new liver cancer cases in Australia, with instances doubling between 1990 and 2015. Deaths from the disease increased by more than 20% during the same period, according to an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease study by international scientists, including Australians.

Liver cancer is among the leading causes of cancer death worldwide. New cases increased by 75% globally between 1990 and 2015, mostly because of population ageing and population growth, say the authors.

The article, published in JAMA Oncology, reports the results of the Global Burden of Disease 2015 study on primary liver cancer incidence, death and years of healthy life lost in 195 countries or territories from 1990 to 2015.

Written by the Global Burden of Disease Liver Cancer Collaboration and corresponding author Dr Christina Fitzmaurice of the University of Washington, the article estimates there were 854,000 new cases of liver cancer and 810,000 deaths globally in 2015.

In 2015, hepatitis B virus was the leading cause of new cases of liver cancer, deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYS), which is the sum of years of life lost and years lived with disability such that one DALY can be interpreted as one lost year of healthy life. Alcohol was the next leading cause, according to the results.

East Asia had the most new cases of liver cancer, deaths and DALYS, the article reports.

Limitations of the study include that estimates depend on the quality and quantity of data used.

“Liver cancer remains a major public health burden globally. The major causes for liver cancer are highly preventable or treatable,” the article concluded.

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