About 8,000 people die of liver cancer yearly in Taiwan, and about 70 percent of them are hepatitis B carriers, the Formosa Cancer Foundation said.
World Hepatitis Day, which is July 28, aims to increase the public’s awareness of viral hepatitis, a virus that can cause liver inflammation, severe liver diseases and even cancer, the foundation said in a news release.
About 70 percent of the 8,000 people who die of liver cancer in Taiwan every year have hepatitis B and about 20 percent have hepatitis C, it said, adding that this means every day about 20 people die of cancer caused by the virus.
Photo courtesy of the Formosa Cancer Foundation
In addition to liver cancer, in 2021 a total of 4,065 people died of chronic liver diseases and liver cirrhosis, it said.
Hepatitis B vaccination and antiviral therapy are effective ways of preventing the disease and its progression into more severe liver disease, said the foundation’s chief executive officer Lai Gi-ming (賴基銘), a professor at Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital.
However, as Taiwan’s universal vaccination program for infants began in 1986, there are still an estimated 1.9 million people who are 37 years old or older who might be hepatitis B carriers, he said.
These people are generally not aware of their situation and they are not receiving any treatment, so they are at a higher risk of liver inflammation, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer, Lai said.
“Every person who has had hepatitis B or hepatitis C should follow up as early as possible, because the virus can remain in the liver and damage it,” he said.
While hepatitis C can be cured with antiviral medication, there is currently no cure for chronic hepatitis B infection, Lai said, adding that disease progression risk can still be reduced through regular medication.
To address hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, people should first be aware of their condition by getting an examination to find out if they are infected, especially those who are aged 37 or older, he said.
“The liver is known as a ‘silent organ,’ as early symptoms of liver illness often go unnoticed,” Lai said, adding that getting regular liver cancer screenings can help detect any lesion or cancer at an early stage and allow earlier treatment, which delivers better results overall.
People who are diagnosed with hepatitis B should follow up regularly and take tests such as an alanine transaminase (ALT) blood test, abdominal ultrasound, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) blood test, hepatic fibrosis blood test or hepatitis B viral load test to manage the condition, he said.
People with hepatitis B should consult with their physician about the best treatment and continue to receive proper treatment to avoid liver cancer, Lai said.
Kenting National Park service technician Yang Jien-fon (楊政峰) won a silver award in World Grand Prix Photography Awards Spring Season for his photograph of two male rat snakes intertwined in combat. Yang’s colleagues at Kenting National Park said he is a master of nature photography who has been held back by his job in civil service. The awards accept entries in all four seasons across six categories: architectural and urban photography, black-and-white and fine art photography, commercial and fashion photography, documentary and people photography, nature and experimental photography, and mobile photography. Awards are ranked according to scores and divided into platinum, gold and
More than half of the bamboo vipers captured in Tainan in the past few years were found in the city’s Sinhua District (新化), while other districts had smaller catches or none at all. Every year, Tainan captures about 6,000 snakes which have made their way into people’s homes. Of the six major venomous snakes in Taiwan, the cobra, the many-banded krait, the brown-spotted pit viper and the bamboo viper are the most frequently captured. The high concentration of bamboo vipers captured in Sinhua District is puzzling. Tainan Agriculture Bureau Forestry and Nature Conservation Division head Chu Chien-ming (朱健明) earlier this week said that the
BREACH OF CONTRACT: The bus operators would seek compensation and have demanded that the manufacturer replace the chips with ones that meet regulations Two bus operators found to be using buses with China-made chips are to demand that the original manufacturers replace the systems and provide compensation for breach of contract, the Veterans Affairs Council said yesterday. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Michelle Lin (林楚茵) yesterday said that Da Nan Bus Co and Shin-Shin Bus Co Ltd have fielded a total of 82 buses that are using Chinese chips. The bus models were made by Tron-E, while the systems provider was CYE Electronics, Lin said. Lin alleged that the buses were using chips manufactured by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon Co, which presents a national security risk if the
The National Immigration Agency has banned two Chinese from returning to Taiwan, after they published social media content it described as disrespectful to national sovereignty. The agency imposed a two-month ban on a Chinese man surnamed Liang (梁) and a permanent ban on a woman surnamed Yang (楊), an influencer with 23 million followers, in October last year and last week respectively. Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) yesterday said on the sidelines of a legislative meeting that Chinese visitors to Taiwan are required to comply with the rules and regulations governing their entry permits. The government has handled the ban and
RSS