Raising awareness of early detection of liver cancer

A community-based liver cancer education and whole-process management program opened in the city on Sunday, World Hepatitis Day.

The aim is to boost early diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer as well as enhance public awareness of liver health.

Under the program, a total of 50,000 people with a high risk of live cancer in the nation will receive screening at medical facilities, health check-up facilities and neighborhood health centers, said Dr Fan Jia, president of Shanghai's Zhongshan Hospital, a leading facility in the program.

China has a high rate of hepatitis, which is a very important risk factor for liver cancer. More than 25 percent of Chinese have hepatitis, so it is extremely important to introduce liver cancer screening, prevention and control in the nation.

Newly reported liver cancer and death cases every year in China account for nearly half of the globe's total.

There were 367,700 liver cancer cases reported in 2022. There were 316,500 deaths due to liver cancer in 2022, making it the second most deadly cancer following lung cancer in the nation.

In Shanghai, liver cancer is also common, as it has no significant symptoms in the early stages. About 70 to 80 percent of patients are not diagnosed with the disease until in middle or terminal stages. The five-year survival is only 12.1 percent. So screening, early diagnosis and treatment are key for liver cancer prevention and control.

The high risk population for liver cancer in China are those with cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, those with excessive alcohol drinking, fatty livers, aflatoxin exposure in diet and people with family history of liver cancer.

Experts said people with high risk should receive regular screening. The program will offer residents screenings and provide education.

"We will give education to targeted populations to improve their compliance and cooperation with regular screening," said Dr Zhu Lan from Xietu Road Neighborhood Health Center in Shanghai.

"General physicians in the community will provide individualized consultation and guidance on health management and set up residents' health databases to achieve early diagnosis and timely intervention."