Gastrointestinal cancers are expected to double globally by 2050, according to a new multi-institutional study co-led by Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, among others.
The authors’ projections are based on 2022 data from the GLOBOCAN 2022 database and the study was published in Cancer in December 2025.
According to the study, the biggest increases will be in pancreatic cancer diagnoses and colorectal cancer deaths. Ju Dong Yang, MD, a professor and medical director of Cedars-Sinai’s liver cancer program said that up to 70% of liver cancers are preventable. While hepatitis B and C were once main drivers of liver cancer, there are new forces at play.
“Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, is emerging as a leading cause of liver cancer in Western countries, including the U.S.,” Dr. Yang said in a March 4 news release.
He added that only about 20% of people in the U.S. with cirrhosis from hepatitis or other chronic liver conditions receive liver cancer screening, which could also improve early detection rates, as only about 30% are detected early enough to be cured.
