Liver Cancer

Liver cancer is a common and venomous cancer in Hong Kong. Men are much more likely to have liver cancer than women. According to the Hong Kong Cancer Registry, over 75% of people who suffer from this disease are men.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer in Hong Kong and over 80% of it is related to hepatitis B infection. Therefore hepatitis B and hepatitis C carriers are high risk population. Chronic hepatitis can lead to liver cirrhosis, which highly increases the chance of developing liver cancer. Alcohol is another risk factor of developing liver cirrhosis therefore Hepatitis B carriers must quit smoking and drinking. Liver is a very important organ which responsible for multifunction in our bodies. For example detoxification, regulate blood glucose level, break down hemoglobin, produce bile and kill bacteria. Damage of this organ is fatal, therefore many researches have been done to improve the prognosis of liver cancer patients.

As a result, a variety of treatment choices are available to suit different needs of the patients. Methods like hepatic resection, liver transplantation, Lipiodol chemoembolization, cryosurgery, and radiofrequency ablation, high intensity focused ultrasound and targeted therapy are in use to combat liver cancers.

Yet the best treatment is prevention. By reading this booklet, not only can you know about how to prevent liver cancer, you can also learn more about the functions of liver, the causes of liver cancer, its incidence and trends. Last but not least, the pros and cons of various treatment methods are included.