A long-term patient of mine recently visited the clinic with an urgent presentation of coca-cola-coloured urine.
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Liver cancer is cancer that forms within the cells of the liver. The poor statistics behind liver cancer can be attributed to the various responsibilities of the liver. These include producing essential proteins, enzymes, and nutrients. The liver also plays an important role in the body’s digestion and metabolism and facilitates clearing toxins out of the body. When cancer occurs in the liver, all these important mechanisms in the body are disrupted subsequently jeopardising one’s likelihood of survival.
Another reason why liver cancer is so deadly could also be attributed to the high likelihood of patients with liver cancers also concurrently dealing with Hepatitis B. 1 in 25 people in Singapore is likely to have Hepatitis B and a recent study too, indicated that over 50% of liver cancer patients had a preceding condition of Hepatitis B.
There are two types of liver cancer:
Liver cancer is one of the top 10 most common cancer in Singapore with one of the poorest survival rates compared to other cancers. It is imperative to conduct routine screening and address any risk factors at the early stages.
As with every other cancer, the exact trigger of liver cancer is ambiguous. However, the most common assumption is that liver cancer occurs due to damage and scarring (fibrosis) known as cirrhosis. Excessive scarring reduces the function of the lover subsequently encouraging the growth of cancer cells. It is also possible for cancer cells to be activated through the mutation of the DNA of the liver cells. In other words, liver cancer can also occur without cirrhosis.
Patients with liver cancer can present without any symptoms even when the cancer cells have progressed in size. However, as the cancer progresses, one can develop symptoms such as:
Liver cancer pain manifests as pain at the right side of the abdomen (where the liver is situated), pain at the right shoulder and back pain. Liver cancer pain has been described as “constant”, “dull”, and “sharp”, all of which are persistent.
Pain on the right shoulder is often a pain many find unsuspecting and surprising. This is known as referred pain where the pressure of the nerve at the liver causes pain in another part of the body. It is important to note that, it is common for pain to only occur in later stages. Do not wait till pain manifests before becoming proactive. Cancer screening will aid in early detection and treatment, thus improving survival rates.
Sexual Health Screening
STD screening tests generally involve blood tests, swab tests and urine tests.
Dr Ben Medical offers STD screening for commonly sexually transmitting conditions such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, warts, herpes, HIV, Syphilis and other more – highlighted comprehensively in our packages.
We also offer long term sexual health care and services:
Whilst liver cancer can occur to anyone, there are some factors that increase your risk, these include:
It is important to conduct routine screening to pick up health abnormalities particularly if you come to the realisation that you have one or more risk factors. Additionally, if you notice the persistence of any symptoms, it is best to seek medical intervention to rule out the possibility of liver cancer. Below are some of the medical procedures that will be conducted for diagnosis:
Sexual Health Screening
STD screening tests generally involve blood tests, swab tests and urine tests.
Dr Ben Medical offers STD screening for commonly sexually transmitting conditions such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, warts, herpes, HIV, Syphilis and other more – highlighted comprehensively in our packages.
We also offer long term sexual health care and services:
If suspected of liver cancer during examination and screening, you will be referred to a specialist, particularly a hepatologist or an oncologist. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, your specialist will discuss with you in detail to come up with an individualised treatment plan depending on the stage or extent of cancer, overall liver function, and any underlying medical condition.
There are a range of treatments which may be explored such as surgery to resect the cancer region. A liver transplant may also be explored for patients with multiple cancer nodules, or those with advanced liver disease, or recurring cancer. Additionally, you may undergo chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or ablation therapy to destroy the cancer cells. Systemic treatment which involves oral medication would be explored if intensive medication is deemed inappropriate.
A group of multidisciplined specialists will be involved in palliative treatment to manage the consequences and complications of cancer progression. The main objective of palliative care is to improve a patient’s quality of life.
Although there are no absolute ways to prevent any form of cancer, you can lower your chances of developing liver cancer by considering an immunisation vaccine against Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B immunisation is currently part of the childhood national immunisation schedule in Singapore.
However, as we age, some of us may have lost our immunity over time. It would be useful to run a blood test with your doctor to check your immunity status and consider a vaccination booster shot if required. Those with known family members with hepatitis B are advised to check their hepatitis B status.
It may be worth noting that vaccination for hepatitis cannot be administered after liver cancer diagnosis. Vaccinating as a preventative measure is arguably one of the best measures you can take.
Patients with known hepatitis B or C infection should be followed up with their doctor for regular monitoring of the liver system. In patients with chronic inflammation from hepatitis B or C infection, your doctor may advise antiviral medication to control the progression of the disease and reduce the risk of developing liver cancer.
A long-term patient of mine recently visited the clinic with an urgent presentation of coca-cola-coloured urine.
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