By Kemo Kanyi
Professor Ramou Njie, a liver specialist at the University of The Gambia, said liver cancer is the most common deadly cancer disease that kills at least three men each week.
She made this disclosure during the opening ceremony of raising awareness on liver cancer on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.
According to her, in the Gambia, liver cancer is a leading cause of death among men and the third for women.
“In a week, three Gambians are dying of liver cancer, and is the most common among men,” she stated during the awareness campaign.
Professor Ramou Njie highlighted the importance of early vaccination to prevent the transmission of liver cancer, adding that early detection will mitigate the risk of death.
“Most people die if they have a hepatitis B positive but not all. If we catch them in the early stages of infection, their chances of survival will be huge,” Njie assured.
Njie disclosed that research has uncovered that out of over 950, 000 liver cancer cases diagnosed, 850, 000 died of it in the year 2020, globally.
“There are many approaches to liver cancer prevention. These efforts include immunization against hepatitis B, hepatitis B treatment, hepatitis C treatment, decreasing alcohol use, decreasing exposure to aflatoxin in agriculture, and management of obesity and diabetes.
Screening is recommended for those with chronic liver disease. For example, it is recommended that people with chronic liver disease who are at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma be screened every 6 months using ultrasound imaging.
“Causes of liver cancer are being overweight or obese, having a long-term hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, having cirrhosis (scarring of the liver, which can also be caused by hepatitis and alcohol use among other factors,” Njie disclosed.
