Liver Legend: Charissa Feng

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your history.

I currently lead the liver cancer program at Cancer Council Victoria, where my focus is on bringing together the viral hepatitis and cancer sectors. These are two incredibly strong fields, and when we connect them, we can share ideas, unlock new funding opportunities, and ultimately improve outcomes for people at risk of liver cancer.

I’ve been with Cancer Council for nearly nine years and have worked across a range of areas including bowel, breast, cervical and lung cancer screening. Before that, I worked in the Department of Health, the Anti-Corruption Commission, and in public relations and advertising.

At my core, I love strategy and I love bringing people together to solve complex problems in new and innovative ways.

And outside of work, I’m a mum to two exuberant young boys—and a very energetic little Westie!

Tell us about your journey and how it relates to hepatitis and /or liver health.

As a migrant to Australia, I feel very strongly that everyone—no matter where they’re born or what language they speak—should have equal access to healthcare.

What really drew me to liver cancer, particularly hepatitis B-related liver cancer, is that it’s a disease deeply tied to inequity. Many people missed out on vaccination as children, and then miss out again on testing and treatment as adults.

It’s incredibly hard to accept that families can be affected across generations by a cancer that is largely preventable. To be able to contribute to one less family being affected by this is a huge motivator for me.

Why do you think it’s important to get the message out? (Why is it important to break down stigma and raise awareness?)

Hepatitis B is an extremely complex disease to explain – it is unpredictable, it varies widely between people and there are many steps in the care pathway that people (who are mostly asymptomatic) have to self-

navigate for life. Explaining this to community in language, and to busy GPs is a challenge – but an important one we must embrace in order to reduce misinformation and stigma.

What is your message to others? (Why should others be involved? What is something you have learnt from your journey that others can also learn from?)

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of bringing in diverse perspectives—not just from within the health sector, but from outside it as well.

We have a lot to offer, but we also have a lot to learn—from areas like chronic disease management, women’s and children’s health, sustainability, and even business and economic development.

If we want to solve complex challenges like liver cancer, we need to think beyond traditional boundaries and work together in new ways.