Increase early detection of hepatitis: Stakeholder toolkit

As part of Cancer Council Victoria’s Early Detection campaign, we're working with the Doherty Institute to urge healthcare professionals to talk about hepatitis to their at-risk patients, following an 18.2 per cent decline in hepatitis serology tests which tests for hepatitis B and C.

New data released from Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project¹ shows about 377,000 fewer tests were completed in Victoria between 2020 and 2022.

This decline is particularly alarming as an estimated 20,700 Victorians are already unknowingly living with hepatitis B and at risk of liver cancer.

Globally chronic hepatitis B is responsible for 56 per cent of liver cancers. Liver cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in Victoria and 597 Victorians were diagnosed with the disease in 2021.²

Immediate action across the sector needs to be taken as patients who aren't aware of their hepatitis B status are at higher risk of developing liver damage and liver cancer in the future.

You can find more information about liver cancer and hepatitis on Cancer Council Victoria’s website.

How you can help

For World Hepatitis Day on July 28, we are encouraging health professionals and community workers to raise awareness about the importance of detecting hepatitis early, with a particular focus on hepatitis B.

Included in this stakeholder kit are communications materials to share through your networks, links to resources and recommendations about who you should be discussing hepatitis B with during your clinic appointments and community sessions.

We’ve also created resources and assets translated into Mandarin and Arabic.

Both hepatitis B and liver cancer are usually asymptomatic until advanced stages, which means early detection through a blood test is crucial to save lives. Here's how you can discuss hepatitis B with your patients:

• Ask patients if they have had a blood test for hepatitis B. When possible and appropriate, refer patients to pathology for a test. This is particularly important for health professionals who support priority community groups that are at increased risk, such as Victorians born in hepatitis B endemic countries.
• Be mindful of the stigma and barriers which prevent people from participating in testing and care. Some people living with hepatitis B can face stigma, which can influence everyday life as well as willingness to engage with medical professionals or disclose disease status.
• If a person has had a positive hepatitis B diagnosis, ask if they are receiving ongoing monitoring. Use the below resources to explain the importance of regular check-ups and/or treatment.
  • Preventing Hepatitis B-related Liver Cancer: An illustrated flipchart about hepatitis B for health and community workers to use during discussions with patients and community members.
  • Me, my baby and Hepatitis B and Clinician’s Quick Guide - Hepatitis B testing and management in pregnancy and beyond: Booklets for health professionals and pregnant women who are living with hepatitis B.

Help raise awareness about early detection through your social media and communication channels using the suggested social media posts and tiles below. We really appreciate your support. Don’t forget to tag us: @cancervic

We have also developed messages in Mandarin and Arabic if this is relevant to your community.

Newsletter copy

Share the below newsletter copy to help increase awareness of hepatitis.

Headline: Health professionals are here to protect you from liver cancer

Liver cancer is Australia’s fastest growing cause of cancer death with 431 Victorians losing their life as a result of the disease in 2021.

One way we can help to reduce this rising figure is by encouraging more Victorians to get tested for hepatitis B and be linked to regular check-ups and treatment if necessary. Hepatitis B causes over half of all liver cancer diagnoses globally.

Hepatitis B is a virus that affects a person’s liver and can be passed on from birth. People born in hepatitis B endemic countries, without universal access to the hepatitis B vaccine, are at increased risk of getting chronic hepatitis B.

But since there are often no symptoms, it is vital to speak to a doctor about getting a blood test to look for hepatitis B.

People who have previously tested positive for hepatitis B should talk to their doctor or healthcare professional about regular check-ups and if they may need treatment.

Cancer Council Victoria and the Doherty Institute are working with health professionals to encourage more Victorians to be tested for hepatitis B, following new data from the Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project which shows that an estimated 20,700 Victorians are unknowingly living with hepatitis B.

You can learn more about hepatitis and its link to liver cancer, on Cancer Council Victoria’s website.

You can also speak to Cancer Council Victoria’s experienced nurses on 13 11 20.

Use these sample social media posts to help promote hepatitis and liver cancer messages to Arabic-speaking communities.

References

1. MacLachlan JH, Romero N, Purcell I, Cowie BC. Viral Hepatitis Mapping Project: Hepatitis B. National Report 2021. Darlinghurst, NSW: Australasian Society for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Sexual Health Medicine (ASHM), 2023. www.ashm.org.au/vh-mapping-project. Source data from http://medicarestatistics.huma...

2. Victorian Cancer Registry 2023 https://www.cancervic.org.au