Liver Cancer Deaths on the Rise

liver cancer deaths have been on the rise in the United States. The American Liver Foundation estimates that 16,780 people in the United States will die this year of liver cancer, an increase of 580 deaths from 2006 and 4,000 deaths from only ten years ago.
But what is causing the increasing rates of liver cancer? Most cases of liver cancer are linked to cirrhosis of the liver, a condition caused when scar tissue begins to replace healthy liver tissue. Cirrhosis is a common long-term side effect of long-term, excessive alcohol consumption, as well as hepatitis B, hepatitis C and fatty liver disease.

"The increase in liver cancer is due to the near epidemic rates of many liver diseases," said Boyer. "The hepatitis C virus, for example, is the fourth leading cause of liver cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Both hepatitis B and C are viral infections. Over four million Americans have been infected with hepatitis C, while 1.4 million have been infected with hepatitis B. It is estimated that as much as 20 percent of the American population has fatty liver disease, a side-effect of diabetes and obesity.read more