Liver Cancer Awareness Month and HBV

Written By Dylan K

For those who may or may not know, October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month! This article is written to speak about the linkage between liver cancer and one of the most prevalent liver diseases in the world, Hepatitis B.  

Phillip: Growing up, I recall accompanying my father to his annual ultrasound liver screenings. At the time, I thought these screenings were simply routine health check-ups. It was not until my grandfather passed from hepatocellular carcinoma that I learned of my family’s enduring struggles with hepatitis B. With my family navigating the challenges of immigrating to America, healthcare was the last thing on their mind. Limited access to proper care and patient health education during the Vietnam War did not help their case either. Upon arriving and living in California, my family became aware of their hidden battle with hepatitis B. Through my family’s stories, I learned of Asian communities' susceptibility to hepatitis B, fueling my desire to pursue this HBV project. 

Jake: During my time in college, I first learned about the Hepatitis B Virus in a course where we discussed diseases that disproportionately impact the AAPI community. Now that I work at a Non-Profit Liver Clinic in San Diego I can see firsthand the importance of addressing HBV and liver health which led to my passion to pursue this project.    

What is Hepatitis B:

For those unaware of what hepatitis B is, it is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).  There are generally 2 forms of Hepatitis B, acute and chronic hepatitis B. For those with acute hepatitis B, the virus will go away naturally within 6 months however for those with chronic hepatitis B, the virus does not.  Generally, the risk of developing chronic hep B is related to age; the younger an individual is exposed to HBV, the greater the risk they have of developing chronic hep B.[1]  This is not to say that older individuals will not get infected with chronic hep B, but it is to say that the risk for chronic hep B is reduced for those who are older.    

According to the Hep B Foundation, around 2 billion people in the world have been infected with HBV and roughly 1.5 million new people become infected each year.  In the United States, specifically, 2.4 million people are chronically affected with Hepatitis B.[1]  

Hepatitis B is spread when bodily fluids(i.e. blood or semen but not spit) from someone infected enter the body of someone who is not infected.  Examples of this virus spreading are through actions such as sharing needles or sexual contact.[2]  This virus also spreads from a mother to a baby.  The virus is not spread through kissing or sharing utensils. The virus is also extremely resilient outside the body, being able to live on surfaces for up to 7 days. [3]

Currently, there is no cure for hepatitis B infection, but there is a very effective way to prevent an HBV infection via the Hepatitis B vaccine series. For some individuals in the United States, this vaccine is given at infancy, however for some, they have not received this vaccine.   

What is Liver Cancer: 

For those who may not know, liver cancer is a disease that is marked by an excess growth of cells within the liver. Liver Cancer is the sixth most common form of cancer in terms of incidence worldwide and is the 3rd leading cause of cancer death.  According to the American Cancer Society, there are more than 800,000 people who are diagnosed with cancer each year, and more than 700,000 deaths each year. [4]

There are multiple types of liver cancer, with the most common kind being Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).  Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) affects roughly 90% of all tumor cases.[5]  The other forms of liver cancer include bile duct cancer, Angiosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, Hepatoblastoma, Hepatic adenoma, Focal nodular hyperplasia, Hemangioma. [6]

How they relate to one another:  

Research has shown that Infection by hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus is one of the main risk factors for the development of HCC, with more than 70% of liver cancer diseases being secondary to either Hepatitis B or a hepatitis C infection.[7]  

A major issue with Hepatitis B is that in the United States, only about 50% of individuals who are infected with HBV are aware that they have the disease. [8]  This is because there can be no symptoms until the effects of hepatitis B (Cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer) can present itself.  

Although Hepatitis B affects everyone, there is an increased risk for certain individuals.  In a study of patients from 2015-2018, the prevalence of Hepatitis B was highest among Asian adults (21.1%), this was followed by non-Hispanic black adults (10.8%), Hispanic adults (3.8%), and then non-Hispanic white adults(2.1%). [9]

Conclusion: 

For those who may be worried that they do not have the vaccine, we highly recommend that you all get tested for Hepatitis B!  And to those who have access to the vaccine and have not received it yet, we highly recommend that you receive your Hepatitis B vaccine if you haven’t gotten it yet!  

How to get more informed on what was spoken about in this article 

Works cited: 

  1. Hepatitis B Foundation: According to the Hepatitis B Foundation, hepatitis B affects millions of people worldwide ("Hepatitis B Facts and Figures," www.hepb.org).

  2. Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy: The Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy reports that hepatitis B can cause serious liver disease (HHS, March 31, 2023, www.hhs.gov/hepatitis).

  3. W. Bond (The Lancet): A study published in The Lancet found that the hepatitis B virus can survive after drying for a week (Bond, 1981).

  4. Freddie Bray et al. (CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians): Global cancer statistics indicate rising incidences of liver cancer, according to a report in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (Bray et al., 2024, https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21834).

  5. Josep M. Llovet et al. (Nature): Research published in Nature highlights that hepatocellular carcinoma is a major cause of death worldwide (Llovet et al., January 21, 2021, www.nature.com).

  6. American Cancer Society: The American Cancer Society outlines that liver cancer has several types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (www.cancer.org, accessed October 10, 2024).

  7. Kwabena O. Asafo-Agyei (StatPearls): StatPearls describes hepatocellular carcinoma as the most common form of liver cancer (Asafo-Agyei, June 12, 2023, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov).

  8. Danae Bixler et al. (Hepatology Communications): A recent study in Hepatology Communications found that many Americans are unaware they have hepatitis B (Bixler et al., March 30, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1097/hc9).

  9. CDC Data Brief: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a report from March 2020 highlighted the growing concerns around hepatitis B ("Data Brief No. 361," CDC).

  10. Mehlika Toy et al. (Hepatology Medicine and Policy): Research in Hepatology Medicine and Policy found that chronic hepatitis B disproportionately affects certain racial and ethnic groups in California (Toy et al., June 5, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/s41124-018-0034-7).

Dylan K
Next

2023 Leadership Summit & Lobby Day