According to the American Cancer Society, about 15,300 new cases of liver cancer will be diagnosed in the year 2000. About 13,800 people will die of the disease.
Liver cancer is more common in men than it is in women.
While the cause of liver cancer is not known, there are some risk factors that increase a person's likelihood of getting the disease. These include infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C, or cirrhosis which can be brought on by alcohol abuse or a disorder that causes iron to build up in the liver. Exposure to certain chemicals including steroids, arsenic, tobacco and birth control pills can also increase a person's risk. There are rarely symptoms noted with the early stage of liver cancer. In the later stages, signs include weight loss, loss of appetite, pain in the stomach and yellowing of the skin and eyes.