Liver Cancer Awareness Month 2026
Healthy ageing starts with a healthy liver.
Take practical steps to protect your liver, understand your risk and know when regular liver checks may be needed.
Liver cancer in Europe
2022 estimates from the European Cancer Information System
62,124
people diagnosed in the EU in 2022
54,165
people died from liver cancer in the EU in 2022
6th
leading cause of cancer death in the EU
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre. (2024). Liver cancer in the EU. European Cancer Information System (ECIS)
Why liver health matters
Your liver works quietly.
Protect it actively.
Your liver processes nutrients, stores energy, produces bile and helps remove harmful substances from your blood. It supports your body every day, often without you noticing.
Liver disease can develop without obvious symptoms, and liver cancer may also be difficult to detect early. Understanding your personal risk can help you take action sooner.
Regular surveillance is not for everyone.
It may be recommended for people at higher risk, including many people with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B. Ask your doctor whether liver checks every six months are appropriate for you.
Healthy liver. Healthier future.
Four practical ways to reduce your risk
Not every risk factor can be changed, and liver cancer is never a person’s fault. These actions can still help protect liver health over time.
01
Prevent and treat viral hepatitis
Check whether you are protected against hepatitis B and ask your doctor whether testing for hepatitis B or C is right for you.
02
Drink less alcohol
Alcohol can damage the liver and increase cancer risk. Drinking less, or not drinking, helps protect your long term health.
03
Look after your metabolic health
Stay active, work towards a healthy weight and seek support to manage diabetes or steatotic liver disease
04
Do not smoke
Smoking increases the risk of liver cancer and many other diseases. Support is available to help you stop.
Know the signs
Do not wait for symptoms to understand your risk.
Liver cancer may not cause symptoms in its early stages. Speak to a doctor if you notice persistent changes that are unusual for you.
These symptoms are common and can have many causes. Having them does not mean you have liver cancer, but they should be checked.
What patients tell us
Liver cancer is not one story.
Patient experiences show why listening, timely investigation and clear information matter.
Read Emanuela’s and Laura’s accounts of diagnosis, treatment and life with liver cancer.
Emanuela
On the night between May 19th and 20th, I felt a strong pain under the right rib, intense and short, like a stab. The following day, although the pain had disappeared, I performed an abdominal ultrasound on myself, which showed a surprise: a mass occupying almost the entire left side of the liver.
Laura
Receiving the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma was terrible but, above all, unexpected, given the initial premises of the diagnosis of cavernous angioma. I never thought that my life could change so drastically.
United Against Liver Cancer
Working together for better liver cancer outcomes.
United Against Liver Cancer brings together Digestive Cancers Europe, EASL, ELPA, ILCA and ILCM around one goal: improving outcomes for people affected by liver cancer.
We connect patients, patient organisations, healthcare professionals and researchers to keep liver cancer high on the European health agenda.
Our shared priorities
Take part this October
Turn awareness into action.
Share trusted information, amplify patient voices and help more people understand how to protect their liver and recognise when they may need regular checks.