Hepatitis cases rising across Queensland, new report finds
As more Queenslanders die from preventable liver cancer it’s time to tackle stigma around the disease, says the Hepatitis Queensland chief.
Queenslanders are dying from liver cancer at more than triple the rate since the 1980s, even though the main cause, viral hepatitis is treatable, a new report found.
A recent report from Hepatitis Queensland (HQ) and Cancer Council Queensland has found the state’s liver cancer mortality has risen from 1.6 deaths per 100,000 people in the 1980s to 5.1 per in the same population today.
HQ attributed the rise in cases to stigma surrounding the disease along with a lack of community knowledge about liver cancer prevention and treatment.
Hepatitis B and C cause nearly half of all liver cancer cases statewide – other common risk factors include smoking, alcohol use and being overweight or obese.
The report also found that less than a quarter of those diagnosed with liver cancer would be alive five years after diagnosis.
HQ CEO Dr Anna Hawkes pointed out that another factor contributing to the rise in cases is late diagnosis, as symptoms may only appear in the disease’s advanced stages.
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“Gaps in testing, treatment and long-term care mean many Queenslanders are still not benefiting from effective prevention and care,” Dr Hawkes said.
She added that suboptimal linkage to and retention in care and a lack of access to culturally safe and appropriate services in regional and remote area create additional challenges.
“Only 25 per cent of Queenslanders living with Hepatitis B are receiving recommended monitoring and care, while some 40 per cent of Hepatitis C notifications are occurring in correctional settings,” Dr Hawkes said.
Queensland’s most effective tools for preventing liver cancer include Hepatitis B vaccination and monitoring, curative Hepatitis C treatment, harm reduction services, surveillance for at-risk groups, and culturally safe, community-led models.
Hepatitis C symptoms can include fatigue and fever. Dr Hawkes warned those who had undergone cosmetic surgery or dental work overseas, had a backyard tattoo or used drugs recreationally, even decades ago, flu-like symptoms should not be ignored and advised testing for Hepatitis.
Cancer Council Queensland COO Mena Walker said liver cancer has become one of the state’s fastest-growing causes of cancer mortality.
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“With targeted action and sustained commitment, Queensland has a clear opportunity to reduce preventable liver cancer and improve outcomes across the population, particularly amongst at-risk groups,” Walker said.
She added that the report highlighted significant inequities and the need to improve awareness, screening and access to care for several priority populations.
“Priority populations include people born overseas in regions where hepatitis is more common, people in regional and remote Queensland, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and people experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage.”
The report’s recommendations included stronger testing and treatment for Hep B and C, improved surveillance, early detection and long-term monitoring, expanded access to specialist services, targeted investment in high burden communities, action on behavioural and metabolic risk factors and destigmatising, through community-led approaches.
Liver cancer survivor David Clune struggled with liver disease for decades before being diagnosed in 1989 after experiencing the trauma of correctional facilities as a teenager.
“I was basically flipped out and hung out to dry. Not long after that I got diagnosed with hepatitis, while I was starting a family, and then the stigma sunk in,” Clune said.
“I carried that stigma all through the journey into my fifties. I lasted 28 years living with hepatitis before I got cured.”
Clune attributed his survival to good healthcare decisions and eventually a liver transplant.
“I tell people who have been diagnosed with hepatitis to make good choices and look after themselves because living with hepatitis is not a death sentence; far from it. Things have changed a lot from the days that I got diagnosed in the ’80s,” Clune said.
Hepatitis Queensland is a not-for-profit, community-based health organisation that supports those affected by viral hepatitis and liver disease.
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