We hosted an inspiring HCC Oncology Dinner in Brisbane, gathering almost 40 healthcare professionals to explore advancements in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) surveillance.

Chaired by Prof. James O’Beirne from Sunshine Coast University Hospital, the event featured expert insights from Prof. Patricia Valery, @Dr. Jonathan Mitchell, and Dr. Manil Chouhan on the latest trends in HCC incidence, challenges in rural surveillance, and emerging tools like LI-RADS v2024 and biomarkers like GAAD for early, impactful detection.

The event fostered collaboration, innovation, and inspiring discussions on advancing HCC surveillance and improving patient outcomes.

In a recent interview Associate Prof Simone Strasser provided valuable insights on the greatest challenges in early detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in Australia.

Associate Prof Strasser commented “We are going to have emerging tools for HCC surveillance and that means we have to put a lot of effort to identify the people in the community who are at the greatest risk of developing liver cancer so that surveillance can be applied to them.”

Roche Diagnostics Australia held an Independent Medical Education meeting exploring the approach to Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in Australia in Melbourne.

The event aimed to provide valuable insights into the latest advancements, challenges, and strategies surrounding HCC surveillance.

The meeting featured presentations from esteemed experts including A/Prof Simone Strasser, A/Prof Jessica Howell, Dr Manfred Spanger and Dr Ericka Flores and a panel discussion involving real-world case studies.

When asked on the key takeaways for the meeting A Prof Simone Strasser commented “…an understanding of the changing epidemiology of liver disease and liver cancer in Australia, and that we are going to have to enable the healthcare system and primary care to apply surveillance to
more and more people and that’s not going to be ultrasound based surveillance because we don’t have enough ultrasound practices and technicians in Australia to be able to apply to the whole community at risk and so we are going to need to have blood biomarkers that are applicable to that community.”

Dr Caran Cheung (GP working in Mascot, Sydney) discusses the implications of identifying and managing HCC surveillance patients in General Practice. Caran has a special interest in viral hepatitis and is a s100 HBV and HIV prescriber and clinical editor working with organisations to provide health education to GPs.

Roche Diagnostics Australia hosted an information evening dedicated to exploring the current diagnostic tools and management criteria of liver cancer, also known as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in Australia.

Secondary care clinicians (specialists) such as gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and oncologists from across Australia were invited to a thought-provoking HCC surveillance educational event in Melbourne.

In this engaging session, three Australian liver cancer experts shed light on the current standard of care in Australia, HCC surveillance strategies, and blood-based biomarkers to assist in early diagnosis.

Watch the highlight video and full presentation video here.

Your Resource Hub for Early Detection and Effective Management

Welcome to our website dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of primary liver cancer in Australia. As the country’s fastest-growing cause of cancer death, primary liver cancer often eludes detection until it’s too late for the latest treatments to make a significant impact.

Consequently, Australia lags behind with a 22% 5-year survival rate ¹, in stark contrast to Japan’s 58% ². With the looming threat of non-viral MASLD (metabolic-associated steatotic liver diseases) such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and fatty liver (steatosis), action is imperative.

Recent estimates suggest that up to one-third of Australians may have fatty liver disease ³, placing obese patients at risk of developing chronic liver disease. The question arises: do you know how to identify and assist these patients, potentially averting chronic liver disease and liver cancer?

This platform is tailored for healthcare professionals (HCPs), including specialists, GPs, and nurses, who regularly interact with individuals at high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), such as those with cirrhosis or hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Our content (reviewed by an HCC multi-disciplinary panel) aims to equip you with the knowledge, practical guidance, and resources necessary to identify at-risk individuals early, manage modifiable risk factors, and ultimately reduce the incidence of HCC while improving early diagnosis.

Join us in our commitment to combat primary liver cancer by staying informed, proactive, and prepared to make a difference in the lives of those at risk of this devastating disease.

 

Resources for healthcare professionals

• The Australasian Hepatology Association curates a repository of resources and tools for health care professionals.
• The Liver Foundation has information for GPs and nurses as well as a list of clinical trials.
• View the Optimal Care Pathway for People with Hepatocellular Carcinoma. This resource has been produced by Cancer Australia and the Cancer Council.
• The Cancer Council and The Daffodil Centre published the Roadmap to Liver Cancer Control in Australia in March 2023.

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance and the emerging role of biomarker-based models

In the latest Research Review Educational Series, Associate Professor Simone Strasser, a senior staff specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, explores hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance and the emerging role of biomarker-based models.

Strasser notes that “it was presumed that with widespread uptake of neonatal and childhood hepatitis B vaccination, effective hepatitis B antiviral therapy, and high uptakes of hepatitis C curative therapies, rates of HCC would start to decline in the community”.

However, this has not happened, due to an increase in population rates of obesity-related metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). This places increasing emphasis on the prevention and management of obesity and metabolic dysfunction in our battle against HCC.

To learn more about the emerging challenges in this area you can read the full article here.