If it wasn’t for regular scans and monitoring, David would be “completely unaware” of the three tumours growing on his liver.

Despite feeling healthy and enjoying retirement and travel, a routine test by David’s GP nearly five years ago showed issues with his liver and he was referred to the Flinders Medical Centre Hepatology and Liver Unit for further tests.

A FibroScan test showed some scarring of David’s liver, often a precursor to liver cancer, so he was placed on a surveillance program to regularly  monitor his condition.

“They’ve kept tabs on me, but unfortunately earlier this year a couple of shadows on the scans turned into something more sinister,” David says.

Those scans revealed three tumours on his liver.

With no other symptoms, David says he’d still be unaware of the tumours had they not been picked up during the scheduled checks.

“I wouldn’t know anything was wrong. I still feel fine, I walk lots, and I’ve got a good appetite,” David says.

“The doctor told me if they hadn’t been picked up, and without treatment, I’d have 18 months to two years to live. I’ve got two granddaughters so the possibility of not seeing them grow up hit me a bit.”

But thanks to this earlier detection, David has received chemotherapy treatment aimed at shrinking the tumours and stalling their growth. And in good news, last week he was told by doctors the chemotherapy is working

“I’m certainly grateful to find out earlier rather than later so I have some treatment options,” he says.

Now Flinders Foundation is encouraging the community to sign up to Dry July and help raise funds to buy a new FibroScan for Flinders, so more people like David can receive the monitoring they need and help detect liver cancer before it’s too late.