By Marina Nunez, MD, PhD
It is well known that chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, HBV might also favor the development of other types of cancer, according to data presented at the DDW 2005 conference in Chicago (May 14-18, 2005).
In a population-based observational cohort study, which examined 23,819 Taiwanese subjects enrolled between 1991 and 1992, the incidence of pancreatic cancer according to HBV infection status was evaluated [1]. There were 24 cases of confirmed pancreatic cancer.
As summarized in table 1, after adjustment for alcohol use, smoking habits, gender, and age at entry, the presence of positive HBsAg along with HBeAg was found to be an independent risk factor for pancreatic cancer, increasing the probabilities of developing the condition by more than seven-fold?(table 1). Unfortunately, data regarding HBV DNA were not provided, something that would be also of interest to check.
In another study, this time performed in the US, researchers investigated in a large database from two health systems the incidence of non Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) according to HBV infection status. Patients with HBV were found to be at increased risk for NHL (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.20-4.33), even after adjusting for HIV and HCV infections, age, sex, race and income [2].
[此贴子已经被作者于2005-6-1 15:18:46编辑过] | 
发表于 2005-6-2 04:15
