Urgent Need for Hepatitis Prevention & Treatment as Liver Cancer Spikes

March 9, 2016 – Statement from John Ward, M.D., Director, CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis

The Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer (1975-2012) released today shows a troubling increase in the number of Americans developing and dying from liver cancer, despite the fact that viral hepatitis – the primary cause of liver cancer – can be prevented and treated. The Annual Report to the Nation is released each year in a collaborative effort by the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries.