Liver Cancer Facts

• Liver cancer (HCC) is a tumor that starts in the liver cells (hepatocytes).
• HCC is one of the most common cancers in the world: it is the 4th most common cancer and 3rd leading cause of cancer death worldwide¹
• 80% of people diagnosed with HCC are in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa due to widespread hepatitis B virus (HBV) in these regions.²
• All HCC are due to liver damage (cirrhosis) from several causes: HBV, hepatitis C (HCV) infection, excess alcohol consumption, and certain genetic liver disorders.
• A growing cause if HCC in the U.S. and other western countries, is fatty liver. Fatty liver can occur in people with diabetes, obesity, or combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, overweight)^3-6
• The U.S. incidence and death rate from HCC have been rising steadily since 1975⁷ and there are 22,000 predicted new cases in 2012.⁸
• HCC incidence in the U.S. is predicted to increase 4-fold over the next decade or so, due to HCV and fatty liver.^9-11
• Liver transplantation can offer a small percentage of patients (<10%) survival for several years, but >75% patients had advanced disease and are not eligible for transplantation, surgery or liver-directed therapies.¹²
• There is only 1 FDA-approved chemotherapy drug, sorafenib, available for HCC patients.
• National Cancer Institute funding FY 2011: $66,181,017* (very little is directly HCC-related)

1. Jemal A, Bray F, Center MM, et al: Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 61:69-90, 2011
2. McGlynn KA, London WT: The global epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma: present and future. Clin Liver Dis 15:223-43, vii-x, 2011
3. Hashimoto E, Tokushige K: Hepatocellular carcinoma in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis: Growing evidence of an epidemic? Hepatol Res 42:1-14, 2012
4. Lai SW, Chen PC, Liao KF, et al: Risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in diabetic patients and risk reduction associated with anti-diabetic therapy: a population-based cohort study. Am J Gastroenterol 107:46-52, 2012
5. Ha NB, Ha NB, Ahmed A, et al: Risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic liver disease: a case-control study. Cancer Causes Control 23:455-62, 2012
6. Welzel TM, Graubard BI, Zeuzem S, et al: Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of primary liver cancer in the United States: a study in the SEER-Medicare database. Hepatology 54:463-71, 2011
7. El-Serag HB, Mason AC: Rising incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States. N Engl J Med 340:745-50, 1999
8. Siegel R, Naishadham D, Jemal A: Cancer statistics, 2012. CA Cancer J Clin 62:10-29, 2012
9. El-Serag HB: Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma in USA. Hepatol Res 37 Suppl 2:S88-94, 2007
10. Kanwal F, Hoang T, Kramer JR, et al: Increasing prevalence of HCC and cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Gastroenterology 140:1182-1188 e1, 2011
11. Services USDoHaH: Action Plan for Liver Disease Research, A Report of the Liver Disease Subcommittee of the DIgestive Diseases Interagency Corrdinating Committee, NIH, 2004
12. Han SH, Reddy KR, Keeffe EB, et al: Clinical outcomes of liver transplantation for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: data from the NIH HBV OLT study. Clin Transplant 25:E152-62, 2011

Last Updated on 10/17/2012 3:57:49 PM