Temporal trends in prevalence of liver cancer and etiology-specific liver cancer from 1990 to 2019.

BACKGROUND

Liver cancer (LC) remains a major cause of cancer death worldwide. Grasping prevalence trends is key to informing strategies for control and prevention. We analyzed the global, regional and national trends in LC prevalence and its major causes from 1990 to 2019.

METHODS

We obtained LC age-standardized prevalence rate (ASPR) estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study 2019 and assessed trends using Joinpoint regression. LC cases were categorized into those due to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), alcohol use, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other causes.

RESULTS

While the ASPR of LC has shown a global decrease, there are specific regions where an increase in ASPR has been observed, with the highest rates in America. HBV remained the leading cause of LC (41.45 %) but significant increases occurred for HCV, alcohol use and NASH. Prevalence correlated with socioeconomic development. High-income countries had higher LC rates from HCV and alcohol but lower HBV-related LC. In high-income nations, LC prevalence climbs; the converse holds in middle- and low-income countries.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a global ASPR decrease, LC due to HCV, NASH, and alcohol is rising. Prevention strategies must prioritize HBV vaccination, HCV treatment, and alcohol regulation.

IMPACT

The study informs targeted LC control policies and emphasizes the importance of continued monitoring and regional cooperation to combat LC.