Surge in liver cancer cases is linked to cheap alcohol and junk food by health charity
Rise in liver cancer cases has been linked by health organizations to cheap alcohol and junk food
- Unhealthy diets have led to a 40 percent increase in liver cancer deaths
- About 6,000 Britons are diagnosed with liver cancer each year
A leading health organization yesterday called for a restriction on cheap alcohol and junk food amid a spate of liver cancer deaths.
According to the British Liver Trust, deaths from the disease have risen by 40 percent over the past decade due to unhealthy diets.
It is now the fastest rising cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with death rates more than tripling since the early 1970s.
Pamela Healy, CEO of Trust, said: ‘The main drivers for the increase in cases and deaths are alcohol and obesity.
“Too many of us drink too much alcohol and are overweight. We urgently need government intervention on both issues.
Cheap alcohol and junk food have led to a 40 percent increase in liver cancer deaths over the past decade (File photo: Cheap alcohol deals in a supermarket)
‘The government urgently needs to address the accessibility and abundance of unhealthy food, which is often considerably cheaper.’
Her comments to The Observer come after ministers delayed the introduction of rules banning multi-buy deals in supermarkets for foods high in fat, sugar or salt.
The Association of Directors of Public Health also wants minimum prices for alcohol.
This measure was introduced in Scotland in 2018 with a minimum price of 50 pence each.
Evidence on rising liver cancer rates has been submitted by the charity to a Commons Health Commission inquiry into innovations in cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The submission calls for faster diagnosis, better access to the most effective treatment and more focus on prevention.
It added that the biggest risk factor for developing liver cancer is liver disease, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes, including losing weight and cutting down on alcohol.
The trust says: ‘Population-wide measures regulating the affordability and accessibility of alcohol and unhealthy food have been shown to be more effective than individual behavioral change in reducing disease.’
The charity is calling for a comprehensive alcohol strategy that addresses promotions and affordability and highlights how booze causes at least seven types of cancer.
Liver cancer has the lowest survival rate of any cancer: only 13 percent of patients diagnosed live five years or more (File photo: Supermarket alcohol deals)
Around 6,000 cases of primary liver cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, about 16 per day.
Only 13 percent of those diagnosed with primary liver cancer live five years or more, as it has one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer.
In its submission to the study, the Department of Health says it is committed to diagnosing 75 percent of all cancers early as stage 1 or stage 2 by 2028.
Liver cancer measures include community health checks for people at high risk of cirrhosis.
A spokesman for the department said measures to encourage healthier food and drink choices and to tackle obesity include calorie labeling on food sold in restaurants, cafes and takeaways.
‘Obesity costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year and is the second biggest cause of cancer,’ he added.
‘The NHS has seen and treated a record number of cancer patients in the last two years and cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage more often.’