With MASH, it’s important to be aware of liver cancer risk factors
Cases of liver cancer are projected to nearly double by 2050
A few years ago, I had a frightening visit with my doctor. I’d just moved into my new house and changed my cellphone number, and I thought I’d updated everyone who needed to know. Turns out, I’d forgotten one crucial contact: my doctor.
As soon as I stepped into the office, the nurse asked whether I’d eaten that morning. When I said no, they sent me straight to an unplanned ultrasound. The reason? My blood work showed possible markers for liver cancer. My heart dropped.
After the scan, I returned for my regularly scheduled appointment. My doctor explained that they’d been trying to reach me for days to prepare me for both the ultrasound and the terrifying possibility that the results were pointing to cancer. It wasn’t something I’d ever really worried about. I had no reason to think liver cancer was lurking in the background of my life.
Then again, this was only a few years after I’d been told that, without a liver transplant, I had only months to live. I had beaten that prognosis, improved my health, and, truth be told, probably started to feel a little invincible. But when it comes to cancer, no one is invincible. Not me, not anyone.
Fortunately, the ultrasound and follow-up blood work came back negative. Relief washed over me, but it also felt like yet another cold brush with death. I couldn’t help wondering if I was simply lucky. How close had I come, again, to someone queuing up the final song for my funeral playlist? After everything I’d fought through, liver cancer would have been a cruel twist.
Lifestyle plays a role
Sadly, for nearly 11,000 metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) patients diagnosed with liver cancer each year, that twist is real — and devastating.
Liver cancer is rising at a troubling rate, and it’s an increasing concern for people living with MASH, along with the doctors who treat us. According to The Lancet, cases of liver cancer are projected to nearly double by 2050. That surge is due to several factors, some of which we can influence, while others we simply can’t.
As with many cancers, lifestyle plays a major role. For people with MASH, the most significant risk factors include diets that are high in sugar and fat, obesity, and alcohol consumption. But researchers have also found that chronic infections like hepatitis B and C significantly increase the likelihood of developing liver cancer. While not everything is preventable, there are steps we can take to lower the risks — even when living with advanced MASH.
Vaccines for hepatitis B have been around for years, and the development of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications has revolutionized treatment for hepatitis C. The success rate for DAAs hovers around a stunning 95%. And with the explosion of RNA-based vaccine research — partly thanks to the COVID-19 response — scientists are exploring new ways to prevent or treat conditions that can eventually lead to liver cancer. Science is moving quickly. I believe the future looks bright.
I still get a chill when I think about that day in my doctor’s office. I’ve never been so relieved to learn that I was free of something. But I also know that liver cancer may one day become part of my reality because I’ve lived with MASH for so long.
Yet here’s the strange thing: I still consider myself lucky to have survived as long as I have, to wake up every day with another chance, and to live at a time when science keeps pushing forward, delivering breakthroughs that once seemed impossible.
The fear never disappears entirely, but neither does the faith I have in medical progress. That balance keeps me grounded and grateful. Most of all, it keeps me looking toward a future in which those of us living with MASH have more tools, treatments, and hope than ever before.
Note: Liver Disease News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Liver Disease News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to liver disease.
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