Dr. Roberts on the Prevalence of Liver Cancer

Lewis R. Roberts, MB, ChB, PhD, professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, discusses the prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

It is important to remember that of all of the major cancer types worldwide, liver cancer remains to be one of the most fatal, Roberts explains. Most patients are more likely to die within 1 year of being diagnosed compared with patients who have other types of cancers.

Additionally, in the United States, the incidence of liver cancer is rising, whereas there have been reported decreases of incidence and patient deaths in other tumor types. It is becoming a more heavily researched cancer in the United States, he adds.