Rate of liver cancer diagnoses in the U.S. in 2021, by age

The rate of liver cancer diagnoses in the United States increases with age. As of 2021, those aged 75 to 79 years had the highest rates of liver cancer. Risk factors for liver cancer include smoking, drinking alcohol, being overweight or obese, and having diabetes. 

Who is most likely to get liver cancer?

Liver cancer in the United States is much more common among men than women. In 2021, there were 12.3 new liver cancer diagnoses among men per 100,000 population, compared to just five new diagnoses per 100,000 women. Concerning race and ethnicity, non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives and Hispanic have the highest rates of new liver cancer diagnoses. The five-year survival rate for liver cancer in the United States is around 22 percent, however, this rate is much higher among non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islanders than other races and ethnicities. Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islanders have a 33 percent chance of surviving the next five years after a liver cancer diagnosis.

Deaths from liver cancer

In 2020, there were an estimated 20,262 deaths in the United States due to liver cancer. However, the death rate for liver cancer has decreased over the past few years. In the period 1999 to 2020, the death rate for liver cancer reached a high of five deaths per 100,000 population in 2015 but dropped to 4.6 deaths per 100,000 population by 2020. It is estimated that in 2024, there will be over 19,000 liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer deaths among men in the United States and 10,700 such deaths among women.