Liver cancer ranks 6th most diagnosed in the world

Liver cancer is the sixth most common diagnosed type of cancer in the world, according to a health expert.

It accounts for 9.9 million deaths worldwide and is the third world most common cause of death from cancer worldwide, next to lung cancer and colorectal cancer.

In the Philippines, it is the fourth most common cancer and second most common cause of cancer-related deaths.

"Mataas talaga ang mortality (Mortality is really high) from liver cancer compared to other cancers because of the complexity as well as yung (the) cost for treating," Dr. Angelo Lozada, Vice President of the Hepatology Society of the Philippines, said during the Department of Health Kapihan session on Wednesday, 24 January.

The annual costs for a patient with liver cancer is estimated at P48,367 for public inpatient and P52,749 for private inpatient.

"We would like to emphasize, kasi ang (because) liver diseases is a major public health concern kasi (because) it really causes significant morbidity so yung (that) decrease ng quality of life as well as yung pakamatay or mortality, sobrang taas (is really high)," Lozada added.

In 2020, there was an estimate of 10,594 new cases daily and 9,953 death per day.