A new report from the Centre for Disease Analysis Foundation (CDA) 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 (WHA) is urging communities to come together to raise their collective voice to increase awareness of liver cancer’s connection to viral hepatitis and call for greater action.
The report 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 ”  and concludes that hepatitis B and C should be “considered as cancer-causing infections and international guidelines should be reconsidered accordingly.”

According to Cary James, Chief Executive at the World Hepatitis Alliance, their research has found   that knowing of hepatitis’ contribution to liver cancer means that more people will get tested and vaccinated for hepatitis.
“This highlights the importance of raising awareness this Liver Cancer Awareness Month of hepatitis as cancer causing and to urge hepatitis vaccination, testing, treatment and care to be integrated into national cancer prevention and control programmes. This will not only increase global levels of hepatitis vaccinations but will help to save lives from liver cancer.”

The chief executive adds 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.”

 Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus.

As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) say that the total deaths cause by viral hepatitis, including acute cases, cirrhosis and liver cancer account 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 is 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.”