Liver cancer patients from poorer backgrounds face higher death risk

Monday 08 September 2025 - 15:15

By: Sahili Aya

Liver cancer patients from poorer backgrounds face higher death risk

Paris, France – September 8, 2025: Patients from disadvantaged social backgrounds in France suffering from liver cancer face greater barriers to treatment and a higher risk of death compared to more privileged groups, according to a recent study published in the journal JHEP Reports.

The research analyzed data from 62,351 adult patients diagnosed between 2017 and 2021 with primary liver cancer, one of the deadliest cancers worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Nearly half of these patients came from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined by factors such as unemployment, manual labor, education level, and income.

The study revealed that these patients had less access to curative treatments such as surgery, transplantation, or ablation, regardless of their proximity to healthcare centers or the medical density of their region. However, when treated in specialized reference hospitals, their chances of receiving life-saving treatment and survival outcomes were similar to those of more privileged patients.

Experts estimate that centralizing treatment in expert centers could improve access to effective care by 25% for disadvantaged patients, potentially saving over 800 lives annually. The authors also call for stronger public health policies, including better prevention measures against alcohol abuse, hepatitis B vaccination, and management of metabolic diseases. Without urgent action, the number of liver cancer cases worldwide could nearly double by 2050, warns the Lancet Commission on hepatocellular carcinoma.