Racial inequalities in liver cancer deaths soared after launch of hepatitis C drugs

(Florida Atlantic University) Before and after the introduction of lifesaving drugs for hepatitis C, researchers found that from 1979 to 1998, racial inequalities in mortality from liver cancer in the US were declining. But, from 1998 to 2016, of the 16,770 deaths from liver cancer among blacks, the excess relative to whites increased from 27.8 percent to 45.4 percent. Concurrently, racial inequalities in death decreased for major risk factors for liver cancer, such as alcohol, obesity and diabetes.
Source: EurekAlert! - Cancer - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: news