🇪🇺🎗️ LIVER CANCER AWARENESS MONTH 2026
LIVER CANCER: EUROPE CANNOT AFFORD TO WAIT UNTIL PREVENTION BECOMES TREATMENT.
What if one of our greatest opportunities in cancer prevention is already within reach?
The IARC/WHO figures reveal a devastating reality:
🌍 843,045 new liver cancer cases worldwide.
🌍 732,489 deaths worldwide.
🇪🇺 87,034 new cases in Europe.
🇪🇺 76,122 deaths in Europe.
Annual deaths represent approximately 87% of new cases globally — not a patient survival rate, but a striking illustration of the disease burden.
🟠 AROUND 60% OF LIVER CANCER CASES WORLDWIDE MAY BE PREVENTABLE.
According to the 2025 Lancet Commission, addressing modifiable risk factors could prevent approximately six in ten cases.
This is a medical, economic and political responsibility.
🦠 Hepatitis B: vaccination and antiviral treatment.
🦠 Hepatitis C: curative treatment for most patients.
🦠 Hepatitis D: testing everyone with HBV and improving access to new therapies.
🧡 MASLD/MASH: earlier management of obesity, diabetes and metabolic risks.
🍷 Alcohol-related liver disease: prevention and timely, non-stigmatising care.
🧬 Rare liver diseases: early diagnosis, treatment and monitoring.
💶 THE COST OF INACTION IS ENORMOUS.
An economic analysis cited by the European Commission estimated an annual liver cancer burden of €4 BILLION across 31 European countries based on 2018 data.
Hospitalisations, imaging, surgery, transplantation, innovative medicines, monitoring, caregiving and lost productivity create enormous costs for patients, families and healthcare systems.
🔬 INNOVATION IS CHANGING THE FUTURE.
Immunotherapies, targeted medicines and combination treatments are improving outcomes for eligible patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and Cholangiocarcinoma
Early detection can also enable potentially curative treatments, including surgery, ablation and transplantation.
But the greatest success is preventing cancer before it develops.
❤️ PREVENTION GOES BEYOND THE LIVER.
Addressing obesity, diabetes, metabolic dysfunction and harmful alcohol consumption can also reduce cardiovascular, kidney and other health risks, including heart attacks and strokes.
As MASLD/MASH becomes an increasingly important public health challenge, Europe needs integrated prevention rather than fragmented disease-specific approaches.
🇪🇺 FROM EUROPEAN POLICY TO ACTION.
Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the EU Safe Hearts Plan, EU4Health and European liver health initiatives must translate into accessible screening, early diagnosis, referral pathways and equitable treatment.
Through the European Liver Screening Tour 2026 and European Liver Screening Week ELPA demonstrates how prevention and early risk identification can reach communities.
But sustainable national programmes and political investment remain essential.
@OliverVarhelyi @hans_kluge @WHO_Europe @EU_Health