Liver Disease & Cancer

Hepatitis B is usually a chronic disease often acquired at a young age. We provide thorough assessment including non-invasive fibrosis estimation, liver biopsy when required (uncommon) assessment of the phase of infection you are in, and treatment. We support patients with hepatitis B who need particular advice during pregnancy, chemotherapy or immunosuppression and for some occupational settings.

There are now many treatment options for Hepatitis C, usually short courses of tables which are highly effective in curing you! We offer full assessments including advice on the amount of liver damage you may have accumulated from the infection, which therapy is optimal for you and follow up to ensure you are cured.

Liver Cancer is a very serious cancer often occurring in the setting of another liver disease. The prognosis can vary greatly, depending on if it was found early or late and depending on your liver and general health. We are one of the biggest liver cancer centres in Sydney, and offer the full range of assessment and treatment, including surgery, ablations, chemo embolization, chemotherapy and access to new agents through clinical trials. We have a multi-disciplinary team of expert clinicians who meet weekly for a tumour board discussion and who will care for you and assist your carers.

Patients may have liver cirrhosis due to infection, fatty liver or other diseases including alcoholic liver disease, immune liver disease and inherited or metabolic liver diseases. Once cirrhosis is established, it is wise to be cared for by a specialist hepatologist. Many will remain well for some time, but if decompensation occurs, we offer a range of support for the various complications that may arise.

Fatty Liver disease is emerging as the most common liver disease in our community. We offer specialist clinics which assist in developing the severity of liver disease, and can provide advice about measures which can reduce the progression of liver disease and other complications.

We have specialist clinics to examine the liver for evidence of damage, especially scarring which can lead to cirrhosis. We used to perform liver biopsies routinely to diagnose cirrhosis, but now with non-invasive tools, we can usually discover the degree of liver injury. Liverpool Hospital is the only hospital in Sydney that is able to provide state of the art Aixplorer Shear Wave Elastography® assessment which together with Fibroscan® provides great accuracy in the estimation of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.