Coroner's Finding: Curran, Michael Anthony

62y · Male·metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma

Michael Anthony Curran, a 62-year-old prisoner, died from metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in 2015. He had been diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2005, which is a significant risk factor for liver cancer. A liver biopsy in 2007 showed severe fibrosis with possible cirrhosis. The critical clinical lesson is that Mr Curran should have received six-monthly liver ultrasound screening—the international gold standard for cirrhotic patients—but this never occurred. The cancer was diagnosed only in October 2015 when already advanced and metastatic, precluding meaningful treatment. The coroner found a failure of medical management due to lack of coordination between prison health services and the Royal Adelaide Hospital specialist team, compounded by multiple prison transfers disrupting continuity of care. Earlier detection through regular screening would have significantly improved his chances of survival or life prolongation through surgery, transplantation, or ablative therapies.