Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer globally, with the highest rates of new cases and deaths seen in Asia and Africa. With the number of people diagnosed with or dying from liver cancer predicted to rise by 55% by 2040, liver cancer will place an increasingly heavy burden on health systems across the world.
Viral hepatitis is a major cause of liver cancer. Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for hepatitis B and a cure for hepatitis C, efforts to test and treat individuals for viral hepatitis and to prevent these infections are suboptimal. Ramping up these efforts is a key component of cancer prevention that must be integrated and implemented into cancer prevention efforts globally.
As part of London Global Cancer Week (11-15 November 2025), The Hepatitis Fund and The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology will host a virtual event on 13 November (12.00 – 13.00 GMT) discussing the role that viral hepatitis elimination can play in tackling the global burden of liver cancer. This interactive session will provide the global cancer community with the opportunity to learn more about the link between viral hepatitis and liver cancer and the key challenges facing efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis despite the availability of tools to prevent, treat, and cure these infections. The session will also focus on actionable aspects of hepatitis elimination with the end goal of preventing liver cancer.
More information on following the event online and the full programme will be available soon.
