1990 to 2017 Saw Increases in Primary Liver Cancer Cases

MONDAY, March 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- From 1990 to 2017, there were increases in the number of primary liver cancer (PLC) cases among those diagnosed at ages 30 to 59 and ≥60 years, according to a study published online March 23 in Cancer.

Zhenqiu Liu, M.D., from the School of Public Health at Fudan University in Shanghai, and colleagues quantified global temporal trends in PLC incidence by calculating the estimated annual percentage changes in the PLC age-standardized incidence rate (ASR).

The researchers found that from 1990 to 2017, there was a decrease in the number of PLC cases diagnosed at the age of <30 years, while increases were seen in the number of PLC cases diagnosed at ages 30 to 59 years and at ≥60 years. In both sexes, the ASR of PLC cases with age at diagnosis <30 years and between 30 and 59 years decreased, while the ASR of PLC with age at diagnosis of ≥60 years increased in men and remained stable in women. The decrease was mainly due to a reduction in PLC caused by hepatitis B and C and was consistent in most regions except developed countries. In most regions, the ASR of PLC due to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis increased by the greatest magnitude.

"Our findings suggest the lack of attention for older people in current liver cancer prevention efforts and highlight the emerging concern of obesity as a risk factor for liver cancer," a coauthor said in a statement.

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