When Anna Fidel Paul, a 23-year-old from Rwanda, was told that her liver cancer could not be treated, she faced a choice few people her age should ever have to make: travel to a faraway land, with only her sister by her side, in search of a surgeon willing to consider a complex and risky surgery to save her life. She made that journey to India, and today, she is alive and recovering well.

Anna's story began in 2022, when she was diagnosed with Hepatitis B, a viral infection that, if left untreated, can silently damage the liver over the years. By 2025, Anna had developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of primary liver cancer, along with underlying liver cirrhosis. The tumour measured 5 to 6 centimetres in diameter and was located in segment 1 of the liver, known as the caudate lobe, a tricky area for surgical intervention. Yet, fortunately, PET-CT scans showed no evidence of the cancer spreading to distant organs, which offered a possibility for curative treatment.

Determined to fight, Anna researched her options and reached out to Dr. Jayanth Reddy, Lead Consultant - HPB & Liver and Pancreatic Transplant at Manipal Hospital Old Airport Road, Bangalore. She booked flights for herself and her sister, 2 young women who had never been to India, did not know the local language, and carried with them nothing but hope and a diagnosis that demanded urgent care.

Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer worldwide, and yet, it is entirely preventable through vaccination. When cirrhosis of the liver develops, routine monitoring becomes inevitable: regular imaging and blood tests can detect liver cancer at an early, operable stage, improving the chances of a cure.

At the hospital, Dr. Jayanth Reddy and his team quickly sprang into action, conducting a detailed evaluation and curating a treatment pathway involving the surgical resection of her liver tumour. On 11th April 2026, Anna underwent the surgery successfully, with the surgical team achieving complete removal of the tumour despite the complexity of the tumour's location.

Dr. Jayanth Reddy noted, "Anna's case was both medically complex and deeply personal. The tumour was located in one of the most technically challenging areas of the liver to operate on, and she also had cirrhosis, which added major surgical risk. What made this possible was meticulous pre-operative planning, support from a multidisciplinary team, and the patient's extraordinary courage and trust in us. That is why early detection matters so much. Had this tumour been identified sooner through routine screening, treatment would have been simpler. But even at this stage, surgery offered her a real chance at a cure, and we are very glad she made the right choice to seek care."

Surgery remains the gold standard for treating hepatocellular carcinoma in eligible patients. Anna's case exemplifies the kind of high-complexity hepatic resection that requires both surgical expertise and a well-coordinated multidisciplinary team. She was subsequently monitored in the ICU before being transferred to the ward and was discharged within days. Today, she is recovering well, with a continued follow-up regimen. She said, "The journey wasn't easy - a lot of pain and frustrations. But I was so glad that the doctors and nurses were there who comforted me and encouraged me mentally. They kept saying: 'You have to recover. You will pass this. This won't last.'"

Anna also reflected on the importance of regular health check-ups, a practice she believes ultimately saved her life.

"One of the biggest lessons I learned is that feeling healthy does not always mean everything is fine. I had no symptoms, yet a routine health check-up revealed Hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, and later liver cancer. At first, I kept asking, "Why me?" But I soon realized that accepting the situation, trusting my doctors, and focusing on my treatment were the only way forward.

When I was diagnosed with a liver tumour, I was scared and overwhelmed. But the support of my doctors, nurses, family, and my faith in God gave me the strength to keep fighting. Today, I am grateful for every new day and hope my story reminds others not to ignore regular health check-ups, because early detection can truly save lives."