Liver cancer, which claims the lives of close to 800,000 persons every year globally, is one of the public health problems worldwide.
More than half of those who succumbed to liver cancer are caused by infection with either the Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C virus.
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus. It can develop a chronic or lifelong infection and over time, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious liver damage, and even liver cancer.
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) which causes hepatitis C invades liver cells, causing inflammation, swelling, dysfunction, and eventual organ damage. A person can transmit HCV to someone else through blood-to-blood contact.
Chronic hepatitis C infection and can lead to serious health problems like liver cancer or cirrhosis.
Awareness
The month of January of each year has been declared “Liver Cancer and Viral Hepatitis Awareness and Prevention Month” by Republic Act 10526.
The Philippines ranks 23rd of the Top 25 countries with the highest rates of liver cancer in 2018 according to the Continuous Update Project Panel of World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer.
However, in the Philippines and other underdeveloped countries, the incidence of liver cancer is high.
Many Filipinos suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, a major risk factor for liver cancer.
Cirrhosis of the liver precedes 80 percent of all liver cancers; thus, any condition that predisposes to cirrhosis indirectly causes liver cancer.
The usual cause of liver cirrhosis among Filipinos is chronic Hepatitis B, a major public health problem in the country. Chronic Hepatitis B afflicts between 10 and 12 percent of all Filipinos.
Other less significant causes of cirrhosis are Hepatitis C infection and alcoholism.
Liver cancer
According to data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) published in its online database, GLOBOCAN 2020, liver cancer is the 4th most prevalent type of cancer in the Philippines with 10,594 new cases or 6.9 percent.
In a webinar recently, Dr. Clarito Cairo, Department of Health-Medical Officer IV and Program Manager of the National Integrated Cancer Control Program, Cancer Control Division, Disease Prevention and Control Bureau, said that three people die of hepatitis B and C every minute, worldwide.
Early detection, Dr. Cairo said, is very vital.
“We should eliminate viral hepatitis at the earliest stage so that we can lessen the chances of developing liver cancer. We do not want to increase the mortality rates from cancer and cirrhosis. What we want to achieve is early diagnosis so that we will be able to do our part in decreasing the cases of Hepatitis B and C infections,” Dr. Cairo said during a webinar citing some of the 10 core indicators of the Framework for Viral Hepatitis Elimination.
Dr. Cairo also shared the “Call to Elimination: Viral hepatitis elimination as a public health threat by 2030.”
This would be possible through safe blood and blood products; needle and syringe exchange for people who inject drugs; three doses of the HBV vaccination; universal precaution; harm reduction (oral substitution) for people who inject drugs; prevention of mother to child transmission; safer sex (use condoms) and HBV treatment and HCV cure.
Dr. Cairo also shared that the DOH’s next steps include dissemination of the first-ever local clinical practice guidelines for liver cancer; development of the Strategic Action Plan for Liver Cancer Control Program and the inclusion of liver cancer control interventions in the Cancer Control Assistance Program.