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A recent study on liver cancer revealed significant disparities based on race and ethnicity, shedding light on evolving patterns in this lethal disease. The research, published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology on September 6, examined 14,420 confirmed cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent form of liver cancer, diagnosed between 2010 and 2018. Data was sourced from Florida’s statewide cancer registry and two other public databases.
HCC constitutes approximately 80 percent of all liver malignancies, as reported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). With an alarming five-year survival rate of only 18 percent, this disease poses a grave threat.
Despite these statistics, prior studies on the disease’s prevalence and demographic breakdown have been relatively limited in scope, creating a notable information gap. Dr. Paulo Pinheiro, a cancer epidemiologist at Sylvester and the corresponding author of the study, highlighted that previous research has primarily been conducted in hospital settings, potentially skewing results due to referral and insurance patterns, and excluding marginalized populations with restricted healthcare access.
Dr. Pinheiro emphasized the need for inclusive population data to understand the root causes and patterns of this disease, particularly in vulnerable populations. To address potential biases, Pinheiro and his colleagues leveraged data from three independent population-based sources: Florida’s cancer registry, the public health agency, and hospital discharge records. They also examined trends over a span of nine years and extended their analysis to include chronic viral hepatitis biomarkers, refining subgroups for different racial and ethnic populations.
The study’s key findings highlighted distinct variations in the influence of birthplace and race on liver cancer causes among different racial and ethnic groups. Socioeconomic characteristics unique to various racial and ethnic groups were reflected in the etiology of liver cancer. Notably, individuals of color, Asians, and Hispanics displayed significant differences in subgroups (e.g., Cubans, Haitians, Chinese, and Japanese) and societal factors, impacting the primary causes of liver cancer.
The introduction of direct-acting antivirals is believed to have contributed to the reduction in liver cancer cases caused by hepatitis C since 2015. Conversely, the increase in liver cancer attributed to fatty liver disease is attributed to rising rates of obesity and diabetes in the general population.
