WashU Medicine Says 60% of Liver Cancers Are Preventable With Screening, Vaccination and Lifestyle Changes
Updated
Updated · The Maryville Forum · May 25
WashU Medicine Says 60% of Liver Cancers Are Preventable With Screening, Vaccination and Lifestyle Changes
1 articles · Updated · The Maryville Forum · May 25
Summary
A WashU Medicine advisory said roughly 60% of liver cancers worldwide could be avoided, urging adults to focus on prevention rather than waiting for symptoms.
Key steps include one-time blood tests for hepatitis B and C, hepatitis B vaccination, limiting alcohol, avoiding smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and regular follow-up for existing liver disease.
The guidance points to overlapping risks—heavy drinking, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease—which can quietly damage the liver before cancer is detected.
Liver cancer gets less public attention than many cancers but remains a major killer, ranking fifth in cancer deaths among men and seventh among women, according to the experts cited.