Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41481853›Full record

ArticleChinese medical journal2026

Burden of liver cancer and underlying etiologies in China from 1990 to 2021: A systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.

Menglong Li, Huiming He, Xinyu Zhao, Mengying Guan, Nourhan M Khattab, Galal Elshishiney, Hong You, Yifei Hu

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Chinese medical journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Defect-Engineered BiOAdvanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Menglong LiDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Huiming HeDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Xinyu ZhaoLiver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Mengying GuanDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Nourhan M KhattabDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Galal ElshishineyDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.
Hong YouLiver Research Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
Yifei HuDepartment of Child, Adolescent Health and Maternal Care, School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLiver cancer continues to pose a global health challenge. In 2020, China accounted for nearly half of new liver cancer cases worldwide, with a low 5-year survival. This study aims to evaluate the evolving landscape of the liver cancer burden in China.

methodsData on prevalence, incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) attributed to liver cancer and its six etiologies in China between 1990 and 2021 were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Temporal trends in liver cancer burden were determined by percent changes and average annual percent change (AAPC). Decomposition analysis was conducted to understand the contributions of population aging, population growth, and epidemiological change to the observed trends.

resultsIn 2021, there were 265,539 prevalence cases of liver cancer in China accounting for 35.9% of the global total (739,300 prevalence cases). From 1990 to 2021, the prevalence cases, incidence cases, deaths, and DALYs attributed to liver cancer in China increased by 99.99%, 103.91%, 81.24%, and 48.41%, respectively, primarily driven by population aging, then population growth. Males experienced higher burden and percentage changes in prevalence, incidence, and DALYs than females. Meanwhile, decreasing trends were observed in overall age-standardized incidence, death, and DALY rates (AAPC: -0.32%, -0.79%, and -1.03%) and generally across sex groups and the six etiologies. Notably, there were increasing trends in age-standardized incidence rate of liver cancer due to alcohol use (AAPC: 0.36%) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) (AAPC: 0.44%). In 2021, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and alcohol use were the main causes of liver cancer burden in China. There were age differences in the burden of liver cancer. The overall 5-year relative survival rate was 12.27% in 2021.

conclusionsLiver cancer cases increased dramatically over the past 30 years, primarily driven by population aging and growth, posing challenges to the control of liver cancer. Targeted interventions by sex, etiology, and age are needed to address the burden effectively.

Indexed as

Liver NeoplasmsAdultAgedChinaDisability-Adjusted Life YearsFemaleGlobal Burden of DiseaseHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceAlcoholGlobal Burden of DiseaseHepatitis BHepatitis CHepatoblastomaLiver cancerMetabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver diseaseUnderlying etiologies

Identifiers

PMID41481853
PMCPMC12875693

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.