MoPH launches awareness campaign on liver cancer
<p>DOHA: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has launched a social media awareness campaign on liver cancer, highlighting the importance of recognising risk factors and warning signs and seeking timely medical evaluation.</p> <p>The campaign emphasises that accurate diagnosis is essential for determining the most appropriate treatment, while noting that liver cancer may not cause noticeable…
Doha, Qatar - The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has initiated a social media effort to increase public awareness of liver cancer, underscoring the significance of identifying risk factors and early warning signs. The campaign stresses that prompt medical evaluation is crucial for accurate diagnosis, as liver cancer symptoms may not manifest in its initial stages.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most prevalent type of liver cancer, originating from hepatocytes, the liver's primary cells. The MoPH explains that liver cancer's early stages typically exhibit no symptoms, making screening particularly vital for those with elevated risk.
As liver cancer advances, symptoms may include upper-right abdominal pain, a lump or heaviness in the upper abdomen, abdominal swelling due to fluid buildup, loss of appetite or feeling full, unexplained weight loss, weakness or fatigue, nausea and vomiting, jaundice, pale stools, dark urine, and fever.
Several risk factors contribute to liver cancer development, including chronic hepatitis B or C infections, cirrhosis, excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, diabetes, and a family history of the disease. Men are more likely to develop liver cancer than women.
Diagnosis involves a combination of medical history, physical examination, blood tests, and imaging techniques. Blood tests may include alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), viral hepatitis tests, liver-function tests, blood-clotting tests, kidney-function tests, and a complete blood count. Imaging techniques like ultrasound, CT, and MRI scans can establish a diagnosis without a biopsy, while a biopsy might be necessary in certain cases.
The MoPH highlights several ways to minimize the risk of liver cancer, such as receiving the hepatitis B vaccine, screening for chronic hepatitis B and C infections, treating chronic viral hepatitis, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting exposure to cancer-causing chemicals, and managing medical conditions that heighten liver cancer risk.
Treatment options for liver cancer depend on factors like cancer type, size, location, and stage. Approaches include surgery, liver transplantation, ablation, embolisation, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and chemotherapy. Through the awareness campaign, the MoPH aims to heighten public understanding of liver cancer and the importance of early detection, especially among individuals with known risk factors.
Written by urgent.news from The Peninsula Qatar's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
