What is the Importance of Recognizing Liver Cancer Awareness Month?

Dr. Anjana Pillai, professor of medicine and surgery and leader of multiple liver programs at UChicago Medicine, underscores the significance of recognizing Liver Cancer Awareness Month. She explains that the liver is a vital organ responsible for many functions necessary to sustain life, yet its remarkable reserve often masks early signs of disease until the liver is significantly damaged.

Public awareness is essential because liver disease is on the rise, and common misconceptions persist, such as the idea that only people who drink alcohol are at risk. Pillai highlights that there are many ways to protect liver health, from lifestyle choices to medical monitoring, and emphasizes the importance of early detection.

Awareness campaigns and dedicated months not only educate people about liver function and disease risk but also help dispel myths and encourage proactive health measures. She believes these efforts are critical in promoting liver health, supporting patients and addressing the growing prevalence of liver-related conditions.

Transcript

What is the importance of recognizing Liver Cancer Awareness Month?

I love that we have a Liver Cancer Awareness Month. It should be every month... The liver is such an important organ. It does so many things that are necessary to sustain life. Most people don’t think about it because it has such great reserve that you really don’t notice problems until the liver is very sick. However, there are so many things we can do to take care of our liver.

There are also many myths, like, “only people who drink alcohol get liver disease.” That’s not necessarily true at all. There are many ways we can stay aware of liver health. That’s why I think having these campaigns and awareness months should exist. And to be honest, there is a significant rise in liver disease in general. That’s important for people to know.

Transcript has been edited for clarity and conciseness.

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