Avoid Liver Cancer With These Tips

The liver is one of the most vital, yet often overlooked, organs in the body. It clears toxins from the body, stores energy and helps with immunity. There are many good reasons to take steps to improve our liver health, and none is bigger than helping lower the risk of liver cancer.

“Liver cancer doesn’t get as much attention as some other cancers, but it’s serious,” said Yikyung Park, a cancer researcher and professor in the Division of Public Health Sciences at WashU Medicine in St. Louis. “Although it’s not one of the most common cancers, it is a leading cause of death from cancer, ranked fifth in men and seventh in women.”

Key causes of liver cancer include heavy alcohol drinking, infection with the viruses hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis. Smoking, obesity, diabetes and a condition called fatty liver disease also increase risk. Many of these factors can overlap with each other. But there is good news.

“Liver cancer is preventable,” Park said. “Reducing risk factors and getting regular medical care are important, especially for people who know they already have some type of liver disease.”

Work on boosting liver health with these steps:

• Get a screening test for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Infection with these viruses can damage the liver and increase the risk for cancer. It’s recommended that all adults get a simple blood test for each. It’s usually just a one-time appointment.
• Get vaccinated for hepatitis B. This is a safe and effective way to prevent infection with hepatitis B. Although most U.S. adults have been vaccinated, many have not. Encourage new parents and expectant parents to follow guidelines and protect their children with the vaccine as well.
• Limit alcohol. Zero is best. With the many other risks from moderate drinking, not drinking is the healthiest choice overall.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Focus on healthy eating and physical activity. Weight gain and obesity increase the risk of a condition called fatty liver disease, which is an increasingly common cause of liver cancer.
• Don’t smoke. Liver cancer is one of many cancers caused by smoking.

READ: Whole grains reduce cancer risks

“Simple actions can have real benefits,” Park said. “Knowing hepatitis B and hepatitis C status and making lifestyle changes — like not smoking, eating a healthy diet and getting to a healthier weight — can lower the risk of liver disease and the risk of liver cancer.”

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