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Senior health officials, clinicians, and policy leaders from across the Asia Pacific region convened in Taipei for the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Leadership & Policy Forum, hosted by the APAC Liver Disease Alliance, the Taiwan Health Promotion Administration and the Taiwan National Health Insurance Administration. The event marked a pivotal moment in regional efforts to combat HCC, the most common type of liver cancer and a major public health challenge across the Asia-Pacific.
During the Forum, the Alliance launched a peer-reviewed publication titled:
"Roadmap for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance and Management in Asia Pacific," published in Cancers (MDPI). The Roadmap offers concrete, territory-sensitive recommendations to improve early detection, access to care, and multi-stakeholder coordination in the fight against HCC. The publication reflects insights from the HCC APAC Policy Forum held in Bangkok in 2024 and months of collaboration among experts, civil society, and health authorities.
"Asia Pacific carries the highest burden of liver cancer globally, yet effective surveillance and treatment remain fragmented," said Roberta Sarno, Director of the APAC Liver Disease Alliance "This Roadmap provides Ministry of Health officials and practitioners with an actionable blueprint tailored to the region's specific challenges and strengths."
The Forum brought together representatives from Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Thailand, fostering cross-territory learning and policy alignment. Discussions focused on scaling up screening programs, integrating HCC care into national cancer strategies, and leveraging real-world data to improve outcomes.
Building on the outcomes of the Taipei Forum, the Alliance is now collaborating with Ministries of Health across APAC to convene territory-specific HCC roundtables starting in November 2025. These discussions aim to translate the Roadmap's recommendations into national policies and implementation plans.
In parallel, the Alliance has initiated a new regional paper on MASH, MASLD, and liver fibrosis, collaborating with experts to shape evidence-based strategies for early diagnosis and management. The paper is expected to be launched in early 2026.