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Blood Test Could Help Predict Which Hepatitis B Patients Will Develop Liver Cancer

A blood test that measures a set of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) may help identify who will develop hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a type of primary liver cancer, according to research published in the May 24 online edition of OncoTarget.

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Cancer Is Falling Overall But Liver Cancer Is Rising, Largely Due to Hepatitis B and C

Overall cancer rates have declined significantly in the U.S. over the past decade thanks to better screening and prevention, with the notable exception of liver cancer, according to a new Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. A majority of liver cancer is caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is preventable with a vaccine, or hepatitis C virus (HCV), which can now be cured in most cases.

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Antiviral Treatment for Hepatitis B Improves Liver Function after Decompensation

Early treatment with antiviral therapy can restore liver function and increase survival in chronic hepatitis B patients with decompensated cirrhosis who might otherwise need a liver transplant, according to a Korean study published in the June 2015 issue of Hepatology.

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Hepatitis B Vaccine, Hepatitis C Treatment Could Prevent Most Liver Cancer

Widespread vaccination against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and prompt treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) -- which together are the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma -- could prevent an estimated 80% of liver cancer deaths, according to the World Hepatitis Alliance in an announcement commemorating World Cancer Day.

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ASCO 2015: PD-1 Checkpoint Inhibitor Nivolumab Shows Promise against Liver Cancer

Bristol-Myers Squibb's PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab (Opdivo) was a star of the show at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting this week in Chicago, with study results showing that the drug demonstrated anti-tumor activity against hepatocellular carcinoma in a Phase 1/2 study, along with further Phase 3 evidence of its effectiveness against lung cancer and melanoma.

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AASLD 2015: Coffee Linked to Reduced Liver Fibrosis in People with HBV, HCV, and NAFLD

Drinking coffee was associated with lower liver stiffness -- a non-invasive measure used to estimate liver fibrosis -- in people with hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), researchers reported at the 2015 AASLD Liver Meeting last week in San Francisco. The study also showed a trend toward less liver fat build-up in people with NAFLD.alt

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EASL 2015: HBV Patients on Long-term Entecavir or Tenofovir Have Low Mortality, HCC Still a Risk

More than 95% of people with chronic hepatitis B were still alive after 5 years on antiviral therapy with entecavir (Baraclude) or tenofovir (Viread), and most deaths were due to non-liver-related causes, but hepatocellular carcinoma was still a major factor affecting mortality, researchers reported presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 50th International Liver Congress last month in Vienna. 

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