What’s a leading cause of liver cancer—and how can I protect myself against it?
Imagine this: You’re in line at the grocery store to check out with your nutritional shakes (you’ve not had much of an appetite) when you get a call from your primary care provider, who you saw last week for your annual checkup.
It turns out your loss of appetite and fatigue isn’t just stress, like you’ve been telling yourself. The results of your routine blood work are back—your liver labs are off, and they want you to come in for additional discussion. Soon, you’ll receive a سرطان الكبد diagnosis, and later you’ll learn it was caused by hepatitis C—a virus you’ve been living with, without having any idea.
This is the story for so many liver cancer patients—but in many cases, this story could be prevented by recognizing and treating hepatitis C before liver cancer develops.
ال hepatitis C virus is the most common blood-borne infection in the United States and can cause hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver cancer. The good news is that, unlike other viruses that can cause cancer (such as فيروس الورم الحليمي البشري أو التهاب الكبد ب), hepatitis C is curable. In addition, screening and treatment are available for the virus—so let’s learn a little more about hepatitis C and its link to cancer, the risk factors and symptoms and how to get screened.
How does hepatitis C cause cancer?
Chronic, or ongoing, hepatitis C infection increases inflammation in the liver, which can lead to scarring. Both inflammation and scarring increase the risk of liver cancer due to the ongoing and progressive damage to cells. Unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C.
What are the risk factors for hepatitis C?
You may be at increased risk for hepatitis C if you:
- تتعرض للدم من خلال عملك.
- ولدوا بين عامي 1945 و1965.
- لقد تم حقن المخدرات الترفيهية والإبر المشتركة.
- تلقى عملية نقل دم أو زرع أعضاء قبل يوليو 1992 (عندما بدأ فحص الدم والأعضاء بحثًا عن التهاب الكبد C).
- تم إجراء وشم أو ثقب في الجسم دون التحكم المناسب في العدوى (كما هو الحال مع المعدات غير المعقمة).
- تم علاجهم من مشكلة تخثر الدم قبل عام 1987.
- هم من السود.
- يخضعون لغسيل الكلى على المدى الطويل.
- مصابون بفيروس نقص المناعة البشرية.
- مارست الجنس دون استخدام الواقي الذكري مع شخص مصاب.
- تم تعيين الذكر عند الولادة وممارسة الجنس مع آخرين يخصصون الذكر عند الولادة.
- ولدت لشخص أصيب بالتهاب الكبد C أثناء الحمل.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
What complicates things is that many people may go on for years before knowing they have the virus, as the symptoms of hepatitis C can often go unnoticed or be misdiagnosed as something else.
Symptoms can be unclear and may start faintly and progress over time. They include:
- Jaundice or yellowing of the skin and eyes; this often starts unpronounced, making it hard to notice until it is worse.
- Abdominal pain
- تعب
- Weight loss
- فقدان الشهية
- مثير للحكة
- Nausea/vomiting
Early detection makes all the difference. Because the symptoms often go unnoticed, it is important to know your risk factors و get screened. The earlier the virus is found and treated, the lower the chances of inflammation leading to cancer.
How do you get screened for hepatitis C?
Screening can be done by a blood test at your doctor’s office, local health department, or a health clinic.
Last year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first-ever point-of-care test to diagnose hepatitis C infection in adults. The Cepheid Xpert HCV test, which uses a fingertip blood sample, is a new and faster way to diagnose hepatitis C. It can be especially helpful for people in rural areas where you may have to travel far for medical appointments, because you can be tested, diagnosed and connected to care and treatment all within the same visit.
If you haven’t yet been tested, talk to your health care provider about which option is right for you. Every adult age 18-79 should be tested for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime. Also, any person who is pregnant (regardless of age), should be screened for hepatitis C.
The good news is that hepatitis C can be treated with medication if you are diagnosed, and treatment of the virus can reduce the risk of liver cancer by 75%. In most cases, treatment includes taking a pill daily over the course of two to three months.
اقرأ المزيد | Liver disease vs. liver cancer: What’s the difference and is there a connection?
Your story is yours to write. Talk to your health care provider to check your health and stay ahead of cancer.