About 80 percent of liver cancer cases are caused by chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C infection, the Health Promotion Administration (HPA) said on Tuesday, adding that the government is offering a one-time free hepatitis B and C screening to people aged 45 to 79, so eligible recipients are encouraged to get tested.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2022 Cause of Death Statistics show that 11,888 people died of liver cancer, chronic liver disease or liver cirrhosis, with 7,781 of them dying of liver cancer, HPA Cancer Prevention and Control Division head Lin Li-ju (林莉茹) said.
Liver cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 15 percent of all cancer deaths in 2022, she said, adding that 4,107 people died of chronic liver disease and liver cirrhosis, which combined were the 11th leading cause of deaths that year.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
Lu Sheng-nan (盧勝男), a physician at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital’s Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, said that about 80 percent of liver cancer cases are caused by chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C infections, and men are more susceptible to developing liver cancer after hepatitis B infection, while women are more likely to get liver cancer from hepatitis C infection.
Acute hepatitis B or C infections can become chronic infections, and persistent liver inflammation can increase the risk of developing liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and cancer, Lu said.
The median overall survival rate of liver cancer patients has increased due to early detection and treatment, but it relies on members of high-risk groups having awareness of their increased risk and getting tested regularly, he said.
If people only seek medical attention when they begin to feel discomfort, their liver might have already developed fibrosis or cirrhosis, the HPA said.
HPA Director-General Wu Chao-chun (吳昭軍) said the administration provides a one-time free hepatitis B and C screening test to people aged between 45 and 79, or indigenous people aged between 40 and 79.
If the test comes back with abnormal results, they should get further examination or treatment as soon as possible, Wu said, adding that the National Health Insurance covers follow-up examinations and treatment for hepatitis B and C infections, and the therapeutic effects are good.
Lin said patients with chronic hepatitis C who are eligible for oral drug treatments only need to take the drug daily for about two to six months, and the recovery rate is as high as 97 percent.
As there are also non-viral causes of liver cancer, the HPA encouraged people to develop a healthy diet, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy body weight and lead a healthier lifestyle to prevent nonalcoholic fatty liver, which can also lead to serious liver damage, including cirrhosis.
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