Offering HCV tests to everyone seen in emergency departments led to 34% more new diagnoses than traditional screening based on risk factors.  hep August 8, 2025 • By Sukanya Charuchandra

Screening all adults who visit emergency department for hepatitis C virus (HCV), regardless of their risk profile, uncovered significantly more cases than a more targeted approach, according to study findings published in JAMA. But despite improved detection, only about 1 in 10 newly diagnosed patients ultimately started treatment and achieved a functional cure, underscoring persistent gaps in follow-up care.
Over time, chronic hepatitis C can lead to serious liver complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. But the infection is often asymptomatic at early stages, and a majority of people are not aware they carry the virus. HCV screening has traditionally been based on risk factors, such as injection drug use. Direct-acting antiviral therapy, which has a cure rate above 90%, prevents both disease progression and onward transmission of the virus, but most people who could benefit from treatment are not getting it.

​TO CONTINUE: https://www.hepmag.com/article/universal-emergency-room-hepatitis-c-screening-finds-cases

Published July 29, 2025 | Originally published on MedicalXpress Breaking News-and-Events

​The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

The Commission highlights several ways to reduce these risk factors, including increasing the coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and public health policies targeting obesity and alcohol consumption.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, primarily due to population growth and aging populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa. The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050.

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it's the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer. More than 40% of the global liver cancer cases occur in China, mostly due to relatively high rates of hepatitis B infections in the country.

Chair of the Commission, Prof Jian Zhou, Fudan University (China) says, "Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend."

First author, Prof Stephen Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) adds, "As three in five cases of liver cancer are linked to preventable risk factors, mostly viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity, there is a huge opportunity for countries to target these risk factors, prevent cases of liver cancer and save lives."
The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

The Commission highlights several ways to reduce these risk factors, including increasing the coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and public health policies targeting obesity and alcohol consumption.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, primarily due to population growth and aging populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa. The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050.

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it's the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer. More than 40% of the global liver cancer cases occur in China, mostly due to relatively high rates of hepatitis B infections in the country.

Chair of the Commission, Prof Jian Zhou, Fudan University (China) says, "Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend."

First author, Prof Stephen Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) adds, "As three in five cases of liver cancer are linked to preventable risk factors, mostly viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity, there is a huge opportunity for countries to target these risk factors, prevent cases of liver cancer and save lives."
The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

The Commission highlights several ways to reduce these risk factors, including increasing the coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and public health policies targeting obesity and alcohol consumption.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, primarily due to population growth and aging populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa. The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050.

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it's the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer. More than 40% of the global liver cancer cases occur in China, mostly due to relatively high rates of hepatitis B infections in the country.

Chair of the Commission, Prof Jian Zhou, Fudan University (China) says, "Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend."

First author, Prof Stephen Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) adds, "As three in five cases of liver cancer are linked to preventable risk factors, mostly viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity, there is a huge opportunity for countries to target these risk factors, prevent cases of liver cancer and save lives."
The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

The Commission highlights several ways to reduce these risk factors, including increasing the coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and public health policies targeting obesity and alcohol consumption.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, primarily due to population growth and aging populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa. The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050.

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it's the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer. More than 40% of the global liver cancer cases occur in China, mostly due to relatively high rates of hepatitis B infections in the country.

Chair of the Commission, Prof Jian Zhou, Fudan University (China) says, "Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend."

First author, Prof Stephen Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) adds, "As three in five cases of liver cancer are linked to preventable risk factors, mostly viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity, there is a huge opportunity for countries to target these risk factors, prevent cases of liver cancer and save lives."
The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease—previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

The Commission highlights several ways to reduce these risk factors, including increasing the coverage of the hepatitis B vaccine and public health policies targeting obesity and alcohol consumption.

Previous analyses have predicted that the number of new liver cancer cases will nearly double from 870,000 in 2022 to 1.52 million in 2050, primarily due to population growth and aging populations, with the largest increases expected in Africa. The number of deaths from liver cancer is predicted to grow from 760,000 in 2022 to 1.37 million in 2050.

Liver cancer is already a major cause of death and disability. Globally, it's the sixth most common cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer. More than 40% of the global liver cancer cases occur in China, mostly due to relatively high rates of hepatitis B infections in the country.

Chair of the Commission, Prof Jian Zhou, Fudan University (China) says, "Liver cancer is a growing health issue around the world. It is one of the most challenging cancers to treat, with five-year survival rates ranging from approximately 5% to 30%. We risk seeing close to a doubling of cases and deaths from liver cancer over the next quarter of a century without urgent action to reverse this trend."

First author, Prof Stephen Chan, Chinese University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong, China) adds, "As three in five cases of liver cancer are linked to preventable risk factors, mostly viral hepatitis, alcohol and obesity, there is a huge opportunity for countries to target these risk factors, prevent cases of liver cancer and save lives."

TO CONTINUE READING:​ https://www.mdlinx.com/news/most-liver-cancer-cases-are-due-to-preventable-risk-factors-analysis-suggests/6rDEScZZ4QoZNyQc5zn7nL?show_order=4&utm_campaign=v2.0&utm_source=email&utm_medium=social_share&utm_content=news_byline

Story by Science X staff MSN

​A new study has estimated, for the first time, the number of children born globally with hepatitis C virus. The research, led by researchers from the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation and Behavioral Science (NIHR HPRU EBS) at the University of Bristol, estimated that each year around 74,000 children globally are born with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with around 23,000 of these children estimated to still have HCV infection at age five.

Pakistan and Nigeria were the countries shown to have the highest levels of cases, followed by China, Russia, and India, which in total were found to make up around half of all vertically transmitted infections.
The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, produced estimates for each country, which is a first, as previously such figures were only available for Pakistan, Egypt, and the U.S. using data from more than 10 years ago.

Lead author Dr. Adam Trickey, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol Medical School, said, "Our study findings highlight not only the scale of transmission, but also the great need for more testing. Without this testing the virus, which can be cured in most cases, is left untreated in young children who contract the virus from birth.

"These statistics are important for policymakers and health care planners as they uncover a major source of new HCV infections that has so far been understudied. There are also implications for service delivery, as pregnancy is often a time where it is possible for health care providers to engage with people who they might not usually be in contact with, offering a chance to screen them for HCV and connect them to care if necessary."

​TO CONTINUE READING:https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/74000-children-born-annually-with-hepatitis-c-worldwide-study-estimates/ar-AA1JrQA5



​