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. 2024 Oct 1;80(4):828-843.
doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000000872. Epub 2024 Apr 8.

Incidence of liver cancer in young adults according to the Global Burden of Disease database 2019

Pojsakorn Danpanichkul  1   2 , Majd B Aboona  3 , Banthoon Sukphutanan  4 , Siwanart Kongarin  4 , Kwanjit Duangsonk  5 , Cheng Han Ng  6   7 , Mark D Muthiah  8 , Daniel Q Huang  6   8   9 , Yuya Seko  10 , Luis Antonio Díaz  11   12 , Juan Pablo Arab  11   13   14 , Ju Dong Yang  15 , Vincent L Chen  16 , Donghee Kim  17 , Mazen Noureddin  18 , Suthat Liangpunsakul  19   20   21 , Karn Wijarnpreecha  22   23   24
Affiliations

Incidence of liver cancer in young adults according to the Global Burden of Disease database 2019

Pojsakorn Danpanichkul et al. Hepatology. .

Abstract

Background and aims: The worldwide burden of cancer is increasing in younger populations. However, the epidemiology of primary liver cancer remains understudied in young adults compared to other cancer forms.

Approach and results: This study analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease study between 2010 and 2019 to assess the age-standardized incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years associated with primary liver cancer in the young (15-49 y), stratified by region, nation, sociodemographic index, and sex. The study found a global estimate of 78,299 primary liver cancer cases, 60,602 deaths, and 2.90 million disability-adjusted life years in the young population. The Western Pacific region exhibited the highest burden in 2019, showing the most significant increase compared to other regions between 2010 and 2019. More than half of the countries worldwide have undergone an increase in primary liver cancer incidence rates in young adults. Around 12.51% of deaths due to primary liver cancer occur in young individuals. Throughout the study period, there was a significant decline in primary liver cancer mortality due to most etiologies, except for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease-attributable primary liver cancer (annual percentage change + 0.87%, 95% CI: 0.70%-1.05%) and alcohol-attributable primary liver cancer (annual percentage change + 0.21%, 95% CI: 0.01%-0.42%). The limitations of the Global Burden of Disease database include reliance on the quality of primary data and possible underestimation of alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: Over the past decade, there has been a marked increase in the burden of primary liver cancer, especially that originating from steatotic liver disease. This trend calls for the development of urgent and comprehensive strategies to mitigate this rising burden globally.

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