HKU Professor Calls for Wider PIVKA-II Testing to Boost Early Liver Cancer Detection
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's Hospital Authority began offering PIVKA-II testing to certain cirrhotic patients last year, but capacity constraints mean most hepatitis B carriers cannot access the more comprehensive screening. Professor Yuen Mang-hung from the HKU School of Clinical Medicine argues the test should be extended to all hepatitis B patients, noting that the current detection rate for early-stage liver cancer remains disappointingly low.
Key Points
- Hong Kong has approximately 410,000 chronic hepatitis B patients, with nearly 40 percent undiagnosed
- Traditional ultrasound screening alone achieves only about 40 percent accuracy due to factors like obesity, fatty liver, and operator variability
- Combining AFP blood testing with ultrasound reaches approximately 50 percent accuracy, but adding PIVKA-II raises detection to over 80 percent
- PIVKA-II detects a different tumor marker called des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin that AFP tests may miss
- Professor Yuen Mang-hung from HKU's Department of Medicine urges the government to extend testing to all hepatitis B carriers
- Japan has utilized PIVKA-II testing for 20 years and maintains the world's best early liver cancer detection rates
- Currently, about 40 percent of Hong Kong liver cancer cases are diagnosed at mid-to-late stages
- A new antiviral drug from Japan expected to receive FDA approval before November could further reduce liver cancer risk
Why It Matters
Early detection dramatically improves outcomes: patients diagnosed at early stages show a five-year survival rate approximately 10 times higher than those found at advanced stages . Expanding PIVKA-II testing would address a critical gap in Hong Kong's liver cancer prevention strategy, potentially saving hundreds of lives annually while reducing the long-term burden on the public healthcare system.
Early detection dramatically improves outcomes: patients diagnosed at early stages show a five-year survival rate approximately 10 times higher than those found at advanced stages . Expanding PIVKA-II testing would address a critical gap in Hong Kong's liver cancer prevention strategy, potentially saving hundreds of lives annually while reducing the long-term burden on the public healthcare system.