The following material has been sourced from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
Liver cancer incorporates ICD-10 cancer code C22 (Malignant neoplasm of liver and intrahepatic bile ducts).
New cases
In 2019, there were 2,416 new cases of liver cancer diagnosed in Australia (1,713 males and 703 females). In 2023, it is estimated that 3,048 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed in Australia (2,206 males and 842 females). In 2023, it is estimated that a person has a 1 in 103 (or 1.0%) risk of being diagnosed with liver cancer by the age of 85 (1 in 71 or 1.4% for males and 1 in 188 or 0.53% for females).
Notes
- Data sourced from AIHW Cancer Data in Australia 2023 web report and supplementary data tables
- More information about incidence rates for the most common cancers diagnosed can be found on the NCCI website in the ‘Cancer incidence’ section (https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/diagnosis/cancer-incidence/cancer-incidence)
In 2019, the age-standardised incidence rate was 10 cases per 100,000 persons (15 for males and 5.6 for females). In 2023, it is estimated that the age-standardised incidence rate will be 12 cases per 100,000 persons (18 for males and 6.0 for females). The incidence rate for liver cancer is expected to increase with age, highest for those aged 85–89 years.
Notes
- Data sourced from AIHW Cancer Data in Australia 2023 web report and supplementary data tables
- Age standardised rates are standardised to the 2023 Australian Standard Population
- More information about incidence rates for liver cancer over time, by age, sex, Indigenous status, remoteness, and socioeconomic status (SES) can be found on the NCCI website in the ‘Cancer incidence’ section (https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/diagnosis/cancer-incidence/cancer-incidence)
The number of new cases of liver cancer diagnosed increased from 228 (167 males and 61 females) in 1982 to 2,416 in 2019. Over the same period, the age-standardised incidence rate increased from 2.2 cases per 100,000 persons (3.6 for males and 1.1 for females) in 1982 to 10.1 cases per 100,000 in 2019.
Deaths
In 2021, liver cancer was the seventh most common cause of cancer death in Australia. It is estimated that it will become the sixth most common cause of death from cancer in 2023.
In 2021, there were 2,290 deaths from liver cancer in Australia (1,471 males and 819 females). In 2023, it is estimated that there will be 2,545 deaths (1,674 males and 871 females). In 2023, it is estimated that a person has a 1 in 122 (or 0.82%) risk of dying from liver cancer by the age of 85 (1 in 91 or 1.1% for males and 1 in 188 or 0.53% for females).
Notes
- Data sourced from AIHW Cancer Data in Australia 2023 web report and supplementary data tables
- Two sources are used for cancer mortality reporting rankings (National Mortality Database and Australian Cancer Database). Mortality data reported for cancer of unknown primary site, liver cancer and stomach cancer in the chart above is from the Australian Cancer Database. Data from the National Mortality Database is presented in-text unless it is unavailable. More information can be found at AIHW interim guidelines (https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/cancer/cancer-data-in-australia/contents/cancer-data-commentaries/interim-guidelines-choosing-which-mortality-data)
- More information about mortality rates for the most common causes of cancer death can be found on the NCCI website in the ‘Cancer mortality’ section (https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/outcomes/cancer-mortality/cancer-mortality)
In 2021, the age-standardised mortality rate was 9.2 deaths per 100,000 persons (13 for males and 6.1 for females). In 2023, it is estimated that the age-standardised mortality rate will be 9.7 deaths per 100,000 persons (14 for males and 6.2 for females). The mortality rate for liver cancer is expected to increase with age.
Notes
- Data sourced from AIHW Cancer Data in Australia 2023 web report and supplementary data tables
- Age standardised rates are standardised to the 2023 Australian Standard Population
- More information about mortality rates for liver cancer over time, by age, sex, Indigenous status, remoteness, and socioeconomic status (SES) can be found on the NCCI website in the ‘Cancer mortality’ section (https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/outcomes/cancer-mortality/cancer-mortality)
The number of deaths from liver cancer increased from 282 (185 males and 97 females) in 1982 to 2,290 persons in 2021. Over the same period, the age-standardised mortality rate increased from 2.9 deaths per 100,000 persons (4.2 for males and 1.9 for females) in 1982 to 9.2 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.
Survival
In 2015–2019, individuals diagnosed with liver cancer had a 23% chance (23% for males and 22% for females) of surviving for five years compared to their counterparts in the general Australian population. Between 1990–1994 and 2015–2019, five-year relative survival for liver cancer increased from 7.6% to 23%.
Notes
- Data sourced from AIHW Cancer Data in Australia 2023 web report and supplementary data tables
- More information about 5-year relative survival rates for liver cancer over time, by age, sex, Indigenous status, remoteness, and socioeconomic status (SES) can be found on the NCCI website in the ‘Relative survival rate’ section (https://ncci.canceraustralia.gov.au/outcomes/relative-survival-rate/5-year-relative-survival-diagnosis)
Prevalence
At the end of 2018, there were 1,531 people living who had been diagnosed with liver cancer that year, 4,332 people living who had been diagnosed with liver cancer in the previous 5 years (from 2014 to 2018) and 6,537 people living who had been diagnosed with liver cancer in the previous 37 years (from 1982 to 2018).
For more information, see Liver cancer on the NCCI website
The National Cancer Control Indicators (NCCI) are a set of indicators across the continuum of cancer care, from Prevention and Screening through to Diagnosis, Treatment, Psychosocial care, Research and Outcomes. The NCCI website allows users to see visual representations of data on each indicator through interactive charts
