The Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation yesterday said its free abdominal ultrasound tests showed that among 4,663 people, 81.4 percent have liver abnormalities, including 53 percent with fatty liver disease.
The foundation launched a free abdominal ultrasound event from 8:30am to 11:30am yesterday at 24 healthcare facilities nationwide, due to the upcoming World Hepatitis Day, which is on Friday.
A total of 4,663 people received the abdominal ultrasound test, and 3,795 people among them had abnormalities, accounting for 81.4 percent of all test recipients, foundation chief executive officer Yang Pei-ming (楊培銘) said.
Photo: CNA
A total of 2,505 people were found to have fatty liver disease, accounting for about 53 percent of all test recipients, he said, adding that 121 people were suspected to have liver cancer while 10 of them are very likely to have liver cancer, and 111 people were diagnosed with unidentified liver tumors, which need further examination for confirmation.
The tests also found 1,064 people with benign liver tumors, such as hemangiomas and liver cysts, 551 people with gallbladder polyps, 378 people with liver parenchymal lesions, 44 people with enlarged spleen, 133 people with tumors in other abdominal organs, and five people with liver cirrhosis, the foundation said.
Yang said chronic infection of hepatitis B or C viruses increase the risk of liver cancer, as extended or repeated inflammation of the liver can cause scarring, and if it is left untreated, the individual would develop cirrhosis, which cannot be reversed and can lead to liver cancer.
Therefore, getting an abdominal ultrasound regularly is the best way to detect liver abnormalities or liver cancer at early stages, which mostly do not have symptoms and cannot be detected through blood tests, he said, adding that early detection allows for more treatment options and better prognosis.
However, Yang said the preliminary results suggests that half of the adults in Taiwan might have fatty liver disease, and people should not neglect it, as chronic fatty liver disease can also progress into liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and it has been linked an increased risk of liver cancer.
Most fatty liver disease cases are non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which is a condition in which fat builds up in liver and is often associated with excessive eating and obesity, so the best prevention method is to “eat less and do more exercise,” he said, adding that adults 30 years old and above are suggested to get regular abdominal ultrasound tests to keep track of their health.
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