Doctors are urging people to make healthier lifestyle changes as deaths from liver cancer soar to almost twice as high as they were two decades ago.
The disease has killed more than 81,000 people in the last 20 years, with deaths projected to rise a further 10 per cent by 2040, according to new analysis by Cancer Research UK.
Liver cancer now kills 5,800 people in the UK each year compared with 2,200 in the late 1990s, making it the UKs fastest rising killer and responsible for double the deaths of skin cancer.
It’s currently the eighth most common cause of cancer death in the UK, but by 2040, the charity warns that it could rank sixth.
The charity estimates that the disease has killed around 81,300 people in the last two decades, and is expected to kill around 135,000 people in the next 15 years.
But about half of liver cancer cases are preventable with lifestyles changes, according to the charity, which has urged the Government to ‘help people live more healthily’ in a bid to ‘save thousands of lives, and save the NHS millions’.
Around a quarter of all liver cancer cases in the UK are caused by obesity, while a fifth are related to smoking, and one in 14 are due to excessive alcohol, research shows.
Cigarette smoke contains at least 70 cancer causing chemicals and when they enter our lungs, they can cause damage throughout the entire body, including the liver.
Liver cancer has killed more than 81,000 people in the last 20 years, with deaths projected to rise a further 10 per cent by 2040, according to new analysis by Cancer Research UK
Liver cancer now kills 5,800 people in the UK each year compared with 2,200 in the late 1990s, making it the UKs fastest rising killer. Symptoms include unexplained weight loss, jaundice – the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes — itching, feeling sick, or having a swollen tummy
These chemicals damage DNA, including the parts that help prevent cells from becoming cancerous.
However there are other factors such as age can increase risk. For example, men and those over 60 are more likely to develop the disease, although it is most common in people aged over 85.
People with certain medical conditions such as gallstones, hepatitis, diabetes and HIV are also at a higher risk, as are those whose siblings or a parent had liver cancer.
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, called on the Government to help people live healthier lives in a bid to cut cancer deaths.
‘The UK Government has the opportunity to help people live more healthily, which could save thousands of lives, and save the NHS millions,’ he said.
‘This is particularly important for liver cancer, where around half of all cases are preventable.
‘One of the key risk factors for the disease is smoking, which is why we are asking all MPs to support the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
‘It’s essential that this is passed into law as soon as possible, to bring us closer to a smoke-free UK and a future free from the harms of tobacco.’
Sophia Lowes, senior health information manager at Cancer Research UK, also advised people maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking and cut back on alcohol.
She also urged people with symptoms to visit their doctor.
‘Signs and symptoms of liver cancer include unexplained weight loss, jaundice – the yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes — itching, feeling sick, or having a swollen tummy,’ Ms Lowes said.
Another charity warned there is a ‘postcode lottery’ in the early detection of liver disease, which can increase the risk of developing liver cancer.
Research by the British Liver Trust, published in the British Journal of General Practice, found 80 per cent of regional health bodies in England do not have an effective pathway to diagnose and manage liver disease.
Pamela Healy, chief executive of the British Liver Trust, said: ‘Our research shows that when it comes to the early detection of liver disease, there is a postcode lottery.
‘Although there have been some improvements since the last survey and there are pockets of good practice — this variation is not good enough and widespread preventative measures are woefully inadequate. We need to ensure that there is an effective pathway right across the UK so that everyone has equal access to care.
‘The liver is an incredibly resilient organ but only up to a point. Symptoms of liver disease often only appear once damage has progressed, and the liver is starting to fail. If found early, disease progression can often be halted or sometimes even reversed.’
This come after new analysis found 58 per cent of people in England diagnosed with the six ‘least survivable’ cancers, which includes liver cancer, will die from their disease within one year.
Often these cancers are diagnosed in the later stages, with only 28 per cent of patients in the UK diagnosed early on in the disease, when it is more treatable.
That’s in comparison to 54 per cent of all other cancers diagnosed at stage 1 or 2.
Late-stage diagnosis has significant effects and limits the potential for treatments that could significantly improve survival rates, experts at the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce warn.
