China & Liver Cancer

Bayer and Onyx Pharmaceuticals'  Nexavar (sorafenib) was approved by China's State Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), or liver cancer, in 2008. At the time, the companies quoted Bayer's Dr. Gunnar Riemann, PhD, as saying: "China has the highest number of liver cancer patients worldwide with more than 340,000 new cases diagnosed each year and the incidence is continuing to rise." 2008 data: HCC is the most common form of liver cancer and responsible for ~90% of primary malignant liver tumors in adults. More than 600,000 cases of liver cancer are diagnosed worldwide each year:

• More than 400,000 in China, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan,
• 54,000 in the European Union, and
• 15,000 in the United States.

In the Asia-Pacific region, more than 8% of the general population is infected with chronic hepatitis B and 2-4% is infected with chronic hepatitis C. Both infections are the leading causes of primary liver cancer worldwide.