CU Med: liver cancer cases projected to reach 1.52 million by 2050
發佈日期: 2025-08-27 20:15
TVB News
Joint research by the Chinese University of Hong Kong's Faculty of Medicine and mainland scholars estimates that the global number of liver cancer patients will reach 1.52 million by 2050.
But researchers say 60 percent of the cases are preventable.
The study was published in a leading medical journal, The Lancet.
Liver cancer is the third most deadly type of cancer in Hong Kong. But liver cancer detection often comes late because of its subtle early symptoms, reducing patients' five-year survival rate to less than 30 percent.
A joint reseach project by CUHK's Faculty of Medicine and mainland scholars predicts the number of new liver cancer cases across the globe will increase from about 870,000 to 1.52 million by 2050.
But the researchers said at least 60 percent of the cases are preventable.
The primary causes of liver cancer include Hepatitis B and C virus infections, or HBV and HCV, and excessive alcohol use.
In 2022, HBV and HCV infections were the cause of 39 percent and 29.1 percent of the liver cancer cases, while 18.8 percent were related to alcohol use.
By 2050, the study projects that the distribution of the disease caused by alcohol use and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, or MASH, will increase to 21.1 percent and 10.8 percent, respectively.
Those related to HBV and HCV will record a small decline.
The researchers said hepatitis vaccination and screening of high risk groups are effective means to prevent liver cancer. But public awareness of liver health remains insufficient, including the importance of a balanced diet.
STEPHEN CHAN, Ip's Family Trust Professor in Clinical Oncology, CU Medicine: "Now, when you eat some food in the restaurants, most of the time, you don't know (how much) calories or fat content you have eaten. I think food labelling is one of the concepts."
Chan said new cases could be reduced by two to five percent annually if suitable measures are implemented worldwide.
CU Medicine says a total of 51 international authors collaborated to complete the liver cancer report, which consists of four years of preparation.
