Men are twice as likely to get liver cancer as women. But in America, the percentage of people with liver cancer has risen over the past few decades. According to the American Cancer Society, more than 36,000 new cases will be diagnosed in 2015. Deaths from this cancer will top 24,500 patients. In this country, liver cancer rates are highest for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Caucasians have the lowest risk.

Other Risk Factors

Other risk factors include cirrhosis of the liver, fatty liver, chronic infections of Hepatitis B (HBV) or C virus (HCV), smoking, obesity, heavy alcohol use, anabolic steroid use, arsenic poisoning, Aflatoxins, diabetes, and exposure to certain chemicals such as herbicides or vinyl chloride.

Metabolic syndrome can also lead to conditions that increase, by two times over, the chances for cirrhosis and liver disease. This syndrome is a group of risk factors such as high blood sugar, unhealthy cholesterol levels, abdominal fat and high blood pressure. Fortunately, these factors can often be controlled with lifestyle changes.

Cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most common symptoms of cancer. This disease occurs when healthy liver cells die off, leaving scar tissue in its place.  It has many causes, the most prevalent being HBV or HCV. Infections from these viruses lead to cirrhosis. Another cirrhosis-related ailment is known as NASH, a fatty liver disease observed in obese people with little to no alcohol abuse.

Aflatoxins are cancer-causing fungi, which contaminates rice, soybean, wheat and corn as a result of poor storage practices. Long-term exposure to these toxins increases the risk of liver cancer.