Liver Cancer

Most common liver cancer in the Philippines

Of the many types of liver cancer – the most common is Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC in particular is the 4th most common cancer in Filipinos and is the 2nd leading cause of cancer deaths in the Philippines. Liver cancer is fatal if not diagnosed and treated early. More than 90% of patients with advanced liver cancer die within 1 year; most survive for only 3 to 6 months from the time of diagnosis.

Signs and symptoms of HCC

The danger of HCC lies in its slow, unnoticeable progression – liver cancer is a silent killer. Many have no symptoms and feel perfectly healthy while the tumor is small and amenable to curative treatment.

Some symptoms – which usually occur late in the course of the disease, when the tumor is far advanced – include:

• Bloatedness
• Feeling of abdominal fullness
• Jaundice
• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Dull pain in the upper portion of the abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss

Early Detection of Liver Cancer

The FibroScan probe — a non-invasive, painless, and speedy alternative to biopsies – is used for assessing fibrosis (the formation of scar tissue due to injury or long-term inflammation).

The early detection of fibrosis is key to preventing chronic liver disease, which is associated with conditions such as hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease, and fatty liver disease. The Medical City (TMC), through its Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation (Liver Center), is the first in the Philippines to introduce this kind of breakthrough.

How the FibroScan Probe Works

Pressed gently against the upper right side of the patient’s abdomen, the probe makes use of transient elastography, creating a special pulse whose velocity is measured via ultrasound. The velocity determines how stiff the patient’s liver is — the stiffer the liver, the greater the degree of fibrosis. Based on the test’s results, the patient may then be recommended to Liver Center specialists for further analysis and treatment.

“Through devices such as the FibroScan probe, patients at our Center benefit from a more accurate and thorough assessment of their health, and are better able to make timely and informed decisions regarding the associated treatment,” says Dr. Vanessa H. de Villa, Director of TMC’s Liver Center. “This is in keeping with TMC’s unique philosophy of patient partnership, which is based on patients and doctors establishing collaborative relationships in the pursuit of truly personalized and customized treatment.”