The liver is the largest and one of the most important organs in the body. It is involved in many vital processes which keep the body clean and healthy, it acts as a type of battery in the body and is responsible for breaking down food and producing energy, the regulation of chemical products and hormones, and the fight against infection.
There are many different threats to the liver’s health, from viruses to genetic abnormalities, as well as the accumulation of excess fat, and alcohol consumption. Primary liver cancer is also one of these threats, known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HC), it is the third most common death from cancer throughout the world.
Until a disease as serious as liver cáncer appears, liver complications often go unnoticed for many years. This is due to the fact that liver function does not decrease until 75% or more of hepatic tissue is damaged. Hepatitis, or inflammation of the liver caused by an infection, causes 80% of primary liver cancers in the world, in particular hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Initially, the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause inflammation of the liver. The healthy cells of this organ are damaged and form scar tissue, which decreases hepatic function. Other risk factors are excessive consumption of alcohol, exposure to aflatoxins (toxins which are caused by a fungus which grows in nuts, seeds and pulses), iron storage diseases, cirrhosis, obesity and diabetes.
In this country there are currently 400,000 people affected by the hepatitis C virus, but the main problem is that half of patients are undiagnosed. “Hepatitis C is a disease which does not present symptoms in its early stages, it is therefore often diagnosed decades after the infection, when the disease has become chronic, then being a progressive disease which in up to a third of infected people will result in the development of cirrhosis or hepatocarcinoma,” explains Dr. Rosales, Specialist in Gastroenterology at HC Marbella. As a result, 85% of those infected with hepatitis C become carriers of the virus, the disease becomes chronic and is not eliminated from the body naturally. Furthermore, until recently the drugs available for treatment offered low recovery rates and had many side effects.
In this country it is well known that up to 75% of people who develop hepatocarcinoma are positive for the hepatitis C virus, “The prognosis in liver cancer is not very good, as it is often detected at a very advanced phase of the disease, when recovery is very difficult. For this reason it is important to see the specialist when symptoms appear, or when not only cancer, but also hepatitis, is suspected,” concludes Dr Rosales.
Vaccination is the best method of preventing Hepatitis B, although immunisation is only effective in individuals who have not previously been exposed to the virus. There is still no vaccine against Hepatitis C. Avoiding risk factors such as alcohol and tobacco abuse, taking regular exercise and following a healthy diet (the Mediterranean diet) as well as avoiding exposure to aflatoxins is also significant in the prevention of liver cancer. Those who may be at risk of infection with HBV or HCV virus should ask their doctor for the simple blood test which can diagnose the virus.
● Healthcare staff, such as nurses, due to accidental needlestick injuries.
● Those who had a transfusion of blood, or blood products, or an organ transplant before the beginning of the 90s, since then the blood supply has been thoroughly examined.
● Those who have had tattoos, piercings or procedures involving instruments which puncture the skin, in unregulated establishments.
● Those who inject or who have injected drugs. Those who snort drugs.
● Men who have sexual intercourse with men.
● Infants born to mothers infected with HCV.
● Long-term haemodialysis.
● Inmates in correctional institutions or with a history of imprisonment.
● Those living with, or sexual partners of, people infected with HCV.
● Those infected with HIV or HBV.
Detection of hepatitis is crucial not only due to its potentially serious complications, such as liver cancer, but because treatments for hepatitis B and C can help. New antiviral treatment for hepatitis C offers cure rates of almost 100% to patients infected by any of the 6 different genotypes of HVC. They are not only very effective, but also very well tolerated and of short duration (8-12 weeks).
Furthermore, treatment also seeks to prevent progression of liver inflammation and fibrosis. This will also allow the likelihood of suffering cirrhosis or liver cancer to be prevented or delayed, as well as eliminating the risk of transmission of the virus to other people.
Consult us about your case. In Spain, our Oncologists and Specialist Consultants are leaders in their field, and renowned throughout Europe. They will assess your case and tell you if you might benefit from any of the treatments available. The teams work in multidisciplinary committees, and their aim is to obtain the best results for you.
April 10, 2018
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