The success of hepatitis C treatments has led to a decline in liver cancers caused by the virus, noted Binu V. John, MD, a spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association and Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Miami VA Health System, who was not involved in the study. 

 

"Unfortunately, this is being offset by increases in liver cancer from alcohol and MASLD,” Dr. John said. “This calls for more public educational efforts to try and reduce alcohol use in the community, with special efforts targeted to groups with particularly high increases, such as women.”

 

He added that it is unclear whether the patients in the study were under the care of a liver specialist and receiving liver cancer screening, “which has been shown to be associated with diagnosis of more early-stage cancers that are potentially curable,” he said. “It is also unknown whether these patients suspected to have alcohol associated liver disease had other undiagnosed concomitant liver diseases such as viral hepatitis or MASLD.”

 

Dr. John disclosed that he had received institutional research support from Exact Sciences, Takeda, and Genentech and served as an advisor to Madrigal and Ipsen.