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Liver cancer due to hepatitis C

4Curable or preventable in mostAI-generated

Hepatitis C is now curable, making liver cancer largely preventableAI-generated

Burden-over-time charts — how many people this disease affects and whether that number is rising or falling — are coming to this page. The treatability read, milestones, and live trial pipeline below are current.

Milestones

dot size = significance
199020002010202020251996 — Ritonavir approved (FDA)1997 — Interferon alfacon-1 approved (FDA)2000 — Peginterferon alfa-2b approved (FDA)2002 — Peginterferon alfa-2a approved (FDA)2005 — Sorafenib approved (FDA)2008 — Eltrombopag approved (FDA)2011 — Boceprevir approved (FDA)2011 — Telaprevir approved (FDA)2012 — Cabozantinib approved (FDA)2013 — Simeprevir approved (FDA)2013 — Sofosbuvir approved (FDA)2014 — Paritaprevir approved (FDA)2014 — Dasabuvir approved (FDA)2014 — Daclatasvir approved (FDA)2014 — Ledipasvir approved (FDA)2014 — Ombitasvir approved (FDA)2016 — Velpatasvir approved (FDA)2016 — Elbasvir approved (FDA)2016 — Grazoprevir anhydrous approved (FDA)2017 — Glecaprevir approved (FDA)2017 — Pibrentasvir approved (FDA)2017 — Voxilaprevir approved (FDA)2022 — Tremelimumab approved (FDA)
1996: Drug approval — Ritonavir approved (FDA). 1997: Drug approval — Interferon alfacon-1 approved (FDA). 2000: Drug approval — Peginterferon alfa-2b approved (FDA). 2002: Drug approval — Peginterferon alfa-2a approved (FDA). 2005: Drug approval — Sorafenib approved (FDA). 2008: Drug approval — Eltrombopag approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Boceprevir approved (FDA). 2011: Drug approval — Telaprevir approved (FDA). 2012: Drug approval — Cabozantinib approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Simeprevir approved (FDA). 2013: Drug approval — Sofosbuvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Paritaprevir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Dasabuvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Daclatasvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Ledipasvir approved (FDA). 2014: Drug approval — Ombitasvir approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Velpatasvir approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Elbasvir approved (FDA). 2016: Drug approval — Grazoprevir anhydrous approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Glecaprevir approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Pibrentasvir approved (FDA). 2017: Drug approval — Voxilaprevir approved (FDA). 2022: Drug approval — Tremelimumab approved (FDA)

What's being tested now

2009: 1 trials started2011: 1 trials started2012: 1 trials started2013: 1 trials started2014: 4 trials started2015: 8 trials started2016: 5 trials started2017: 8 trials started2018: 16 trials started2019: 25 trials started2020: 34 trials started2021: 46 trials started2022: 76 trials started2023: 97 trials started2024: 179 trials started2025: 228 trials started2026: 178 trials started201020202026228

Trials started per year, stacked by phase (darker = later phase). Source: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2, which tracks studies recruiting in recent years — early years undercount.

See all 871 active Hepatitis C, Chronic trials on Clin2 →

Where we are

AI-generated

Liver cancer from hepatitis C is now largely preventable because the underlying infection can be cured. Direct-acting antivirals cure over 95% of hepatitis C cases, and curing the infection dramatically lowers the risk of developing liver cancer. This means the most important milestone is the development of these antiviral cures, which have transformed the disease from a chronic threat into a treatable and preventable condition. While access to these medicines remains uneven globally, the medical capability is firmly established. The research pipeline remains active, with hundreds of trials underway to improve treatment and expand prevention. The direction is clear: curing hepatitis C is the key to preventing the liver cancers it causes.

How does curing hepatitis C prevent liver cancer?
Chronic hepatitis C infection causes liver inflammation and scarring, which can lead to cancer. Curing the infection stops this damage, and the risk of developing liver cancer drops substantially after treatment.
Is liver cancer itself curable?
Liver cancer is often curable if caught early, through surgery or other localized treatments. But the bigger opportunity is prevention: curing hepatitis C before cancer develops avoids the problem altogether.
Can everyone with hepatitis C get cured?
The medicines cure over 95% of people who receive them, but access varies by country and health system. Many people remain undiagnosed or unable to get treatment, so global efforts focus on expanding access.
What is the most important recent milestone?
The introduction of direct-acting antiviral drugs was the turning point. Unlike older interferon-based treatments, these oral medications cure hepatitis C in most people with fewer side effects and shorter treatment courses.
Is research still needed if hepatitis C is curable?
Yes. Research continues to improve access, shorten treatment, and address cases that are harder to cure. Hundreds of trials are underway, including late-stage studies, to refine and expand prevention and treatment options.

Related

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Burden estimates: IHME Global Burden of Disease Study. Drug indications: ChEMBL (CC BY-SA). Trial data: ClinicalTrials.gov via Clin2. Velocity, acceleration, and turning points are computed by Clin2 — how this page is made. Treatability describes what medicine can do, not what is available everywhere. This page describes populations, not people, and is not medical advice.