In 2022, West Yorkshire Liver Care Operational Delivery Network (WYLCODN) joined the Community Liver Health Checks project commissioned by the National Cancer Team at NHS England. The project is part of an NHS drive to help detect and diagnose liver cancer early when it is easier to treat and save lives.
The project locally named ‘Liver Buddies’ started in Leeds, was then expanded to other areas in West Yorkshire when the mobile clinic vehicle, affectionately known as ‘O-Liver’ came on board in August 2023.
The vehicle travels around the area visiting high risk communities offering the service to adults with high levels of alcohol consumption, a current or past diagnosis of viral hepatitis or non-alcoholic liver disease, as these are some of the risk factors for developing liver cancer.
Since the project started the team have scanned over 9000 people with over 1000 cases identified that required further investigations.
Around 6,100 people are diagnosed with liver cancer each year, but the number of cases has doubled over the past decade and is expected to continue to rise. Currently only one in three liver cancers are diagnosed at an early stage, but this programme will help identify more cancers earlier, giving patients a much better chance of surviving the illness. If caught early, patients have a 70-90% chance of survival for five years or more, with treatment.