JS Betanio Surgery Clinic

05/10/2024

29/09/2024

Liver resection is also feasible in an Elderly patient

Hepatocellular Carcinoma, is the most common type of Primary Liver Cancer. The 3rd leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Usually develops in the setting of Liver Cirrhosis. Risk factors include, Hepatitis B/C, Alcoholic liver disease, Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis/ Fatty liver.

Know your risk, seek consult

13/06/2024

May 31, 2024, the first ever Liver Sectionectomy in South Cotabato was done in Allah Valley Medical Specialists Center, Inc.
The procedure was performed by the highly esteemed Medical
Professionals: Dr. Chris George
Pales, Dr. Joffrey S. Betanio, and Dr. Kathrin Myla Amonceda-Gedorio.
A decade ago, AVMSCI also conducted the first Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy procedure in
South Cotabato. Truly, Allah Valley CARE!

Photo credits to Dr. Amonceda and Dr. Pales.

26/03/2024

📣 📣 📣
Our clinic will be closed Tomorrow
Will resume on
APRIL 1, 2024

22/02/2024

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month 2024
Facctoid no 10: Molecular Profiling, mutations and targeted therapies

Current scientific advances mean that cancer treatments are moving towards those more specifically targeting the tumour ‘drivers’ or mutations. Progress is beginning to be made in the understanding of and the mutations that may be its cancer ‘drivers’. Molecular profiling on a small part of biopsy material has first to be carried out to see if there is a particular mutation or fusion which the drug, the targeted therapy, will act on.

NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have now approved two targeted therapies for those with CCA - pemigatinib (Pemazyre®) which targets FGFR2, and ivosidenib (TIBSOVO®) which targets IDH1.

For available clinical trials, including those using molecular profiling and targeted therapies, see: https://ammf.org.uk/clinical-trials/

21/02/2024

Facctoid no 9: Molecular Profiling

No two tumours are exactly the same. Genetic characteristics will vary, so patients with the same cancer may respond differently.
For more information see: https://ammf.org.uk/molecular-profiling-booklet-and-video/

19/02/2024

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month
Facctoid no 8: Treatments for CCA

Treatment of (CCA; bile duct cancer) will depend on the position and size of the cancer and whether it has spread beyond the bile duct, as well as on general health. Surgery to completely remove the cancer is currently the only potentially curative treatment, but this involves a major operation and often is not possible because the disease is too far advanced, or the patient is already too poorly.

If surgery is not possible, there are a number of other options available, including stenting to hold open a blocked bile duct, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, molecular profiling and targeted therapy, and clinical trials.
See: https://ammf.org.uk/treatment-options/ and https://ammf.org.uk/clinical-trials

16/02/2024

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month
Facctoid no 6: can be difficult to diagnose

Currently there is no single simple test that conclusively proves a diagnosis of CCA. Even with a combination of patient’s history, clinical examination, blood tests for cancer markers, imaging scans (ultrasound, CT and MRI), and endoscopy techniques (ERCP) being used, CCA can still be very difficult to confidently diagnose.

Research work is underway to find new and specific markers of this cancer. In particular, as the blood test in the ongoing NHS Galleri trial is thought to accurately detect some 50 cancers, including all three types of CCA (bile duct cancer), we are hopeful this could prove an important step forward. See: https://www.nhs-galleri.org/about-the-trial

For the list of cancers detected by the Galleri trial blood test, see: https://ammf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/50-cancers-detected-by-the-Galleri-test.pdf
For more information on how CCA is diagnosed, go to: https://ammf.org.uk/diagnosis-and-staging/

16/02/2024

What causes CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month
Facctoid no 5: What causes Cholangiocarcinoma?

In the western world the exact cause of (CCA; bile duct cancer) is unclear. Most cases are sporadic, there's no obvious cause.

Established risk factors, including some illnesses that cause chronic damage to the liver and/or bile ducts, and possibly a small genetic predisposition, are thought to account for less than 30% of all cases. Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is the commonest known predisposing cause. Other recognised risk factors include gallstones which have remained in the bile ducts for a long time; cysts in the bile ducts; and exposure to certain toxins. However, many diagnosed have none of these risk factors, and more research in this area is badly needed.

For more information on risk factors, see: https://ammf.org.uk/causes-and-risk-factors/

14/02/2024

Symptoms of Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month
Facctoid no 4: Symptoms of

(bile duct cancer) has few specific symptoms. This cancer arises from the bile ducts either within or outside the liver, so the most commonly noticed symptom occurs when the flow of bile in the ducts is blocked, causing jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin, although this may be less obvious in people with darker skin types), often with dark urine or pale stools. Other symptoms may include a pain or ache under the right ribs, and sometimes itching. There may also be unexplained weight loss, feeling generally unwell, and tiredness.

Whilst several of these symptoms can be non-specific and could be caused by benign conditions, they do require urgent assessment, especially where jaundice is present. For more information, go to: https://ammf.org.uk/symptoms/

13/02/2024

Cholangiocarcinoma Awareness Month
Facctoid no 3: The biliary system explained

The biliary system includes a network, or tree-like structure of ducts within the liver and the common bile duct outside the liver.

The small ducts in the liver drain bile from the liver cells into larger and larger ducts. The right and left hepatic bile ducts inside the liver collect the bile and join outside the liver to form the common bile duct (extrahepatic bile duct), which carries the bile to the gall bladder and down to the small intestine.
can occur anywhere in the bile ducts.

To find out more, see: https://ammf.org.uk/about-cholangiocarcinoma