Certain population groups with Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are known to be at greater risk for liver cancer. According to a report published by multiple agencies including the following: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries, in contrast to most other cancers in the U.S., liver cancer incidence is increasing at a rapid rate (2.3 percent per year overall from 2003 – 2012),second only to thyroid cancer, and the rate of deaths due to liver cancer is increasing faster than for any other type of cancer. Hepatitis B and C are major contributing factors to liver cancer, underscoring the critical importance of hepatitis prevention and treatment. The most recent U.S. cancer data show: 1) Liver cancer increased 72 percent between 2003 – 2012 (16,265 to 28,012); 2) Almost 23,000 people died from liver cancer in 2012, a 56 percent increase in deaths since 2003; 3) The report indicates Hepatitis C and liver cancer-associated death rates were highest among baby boomers, born 1945 –1965, who also represent the vast majority of Americans with hepatitis C infection; and 4) As many as 2.2 million Americans are living with hepatitis B
