Why hepatitis patients are at higher risk of liver cancer

As the world commemorates Liver Cancer Awareness month this October, a new report has found that individuals living with hepatitis B and C have a significantly higher risk of developing cancer than someone smoking one pack of cigarettes per day.

This is why the World Hepatitis Alliance  is urging  communities to come together to raise their collective voice and increase awareness of liver cancer’s connection to viral hepatitis. The report from the Centre for Disease Analysis Foundation (CDA) established that hepatitis B and C viruses are highly oncogenic, leading to cancers in multiple organs and sites. 

 It states that hepatitis B and C infected individuals “have a similar or significantly higher risk of developing cancer than someone who actively smokes one pack of cigarettes per day.”

“Hepatitis B and C should be considered as cancer-causing infections and international guidelines should be reconsidered accordingly.,” says the report.

World Hepatitis Alliance Chief Executive Cary James called for the integration of  hepatitis vaccination, testing, treatment and care into national cancer prevention and control programmes.

“This will not only increase global levels of hepatitis vaccinations but it will also help save lives from liver cancer.” 

 He added that chronic viral hepatitis can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which accounts for 80 per cent of all liver cancer cases and is the third most common cause of cancer deaths worldwide . 

“A recent survey from WHA found nearly half (42 per cent) of people globally are unaware that one of the leading causes of liver cancer is viral hepatitis. Most of those surveyed stated that knowing hepatitis causes liver cancer means they are more likely to get tested (74 per cent ) and vaccinated (82 per cent ) for hepatitis.”

Homie Razavi, managing director, the Centre for Disease Analysis Foundation, describes hepatitis B and C infections as silent epidemics. 

“These viral infections are cancer-causing but since infected individuals don’t show any symptoms until it is too late, most infections go unnoticed.  It is important for all of us to recognise the high risk of cancer associated with hepatitis B and C infection and get patients linked to care. Treatment can reduce the risk of cancer by 85 per cent  or more.” 

 As per the World Health Organisation viral hepatitis, including acute cases, cirrhosis and liver cancer accounted for 1.1 million deaths globally in 2019. 

There are five different hepatitis viruses – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Hepatitis A and E are spread mainly through ingestion of contaminated food and water and the disease is often endemic in countries with a lack of safe water and poor sanitation, but rarely becomes chronic. 

Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person and approximately 296 million people are living with chronic infections. 

Hepatitis C is mainly spread through blood-to-blood contact such as unsafe injection practices and inadequate sterilisation of medical equipment.

“Today, 58 million people are living with the disease. Hepatitis D is passed on through contact with infected blood and only occurs in people who are already infected with hepatitis B,” WHO observes while further highlighting that in total over 350 million people in the world are living with viral hepatitis. 

“Each year over a million people lose their lives because of conditions related to acute hepatitis and chronic infection that cause liver cancer and cirrhosis. Chronic hepatitis B and C infections are the leading cause of liver cancer.”

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