'State-of-the-art' equipment at QA Hospital to benefit liver cancer patients

A microwave ablation service has been set up within the hospital’s diagnostic imaging department to tackle liver tumours.

As part of the procedure needles are placed into a specific part of the liver using either CT or ultrasound. It works by disturbing the water molecules to produce heat which destroys cancer cells.

It is thought initially around 30 patients a year will benefit from the service, for which they previously had to travel to Southampton or London.

Dr Christopher Ball, consultant radiologist at QA, said: ‘We are delighted to be introducing this new service, not only to improve the experience of our patients, but to also benefit the professional development of the diagnostic imaging team by learning new skills.

‘We recently treated our first patient using this state-of-the-art equipment which was a success. They are now at home recovering well.’

QA Hospital usually sees between 20 to 30 patients every year diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma - a cancer that arises from within the liver.

It comes as recent figures show rates around alcohol abuse and obesity, that are both linked to liver cancer, in the city are high.

SEE ALSO: Hospital admissions for obesity increase in Portsmouth

Consultant hepatologist, Richard Aspinall, added: ‘Liver cancer can be a complication of any type of cirrhosis. The most common causes of liver disease in Portsmouth are alcohol misuse, obesity and a range of other conditions.

‘Having this procedure available will help us tackle the consequences of liver problems in our local population. For some people with small liver tumours, this procedure can be curative.’

According to data from NHS Digital there were 3,150 people admitted with a primary or secondary diagnosis of obesity in Portsmouth in 2019, up from 2,775 in 2018.

And heavy drinking put 2,900 people from Portsmouth and the surrounding towns into hospital in 2019 – almost 10 admissions every day - while the Addiction Recovery Centre in Cosham said it saw calls regarding alcohol abuse increase by more than 100 per cent in the final months of 2020.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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