Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis B virus infection, hepatocellular carcinoma, and hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinomaÉpidémiologie de l’hépatite B, du carcinome hépatocellulaire et du carcinome hépatocellulaire lié au virus de l’hépatite B
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Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis B virus infection
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most prevalent viral infections in humans, and is a serious public health problem in many countries. HBV was among the first viruses to be implicated as a cause of a human cancer, and it is now believed to be second in importance only to tobacco as an environmental carcinogen to which man is exposed. Some two billion people worldwide (or one-third of the global population) are or have been infected with this virus. Approximately 360 million of
Epidemiology of hepatocellular carcinoma
HCC is considered to be one of the major malignant diseases in the world today. Justification for this view is its high incidence in many of the most populous geographical regions, and its grave prognosis. In addition, the recognition of potentially preventable risk factors for the tumour has made it possible for strategies of primary prevention to be implemented.
In regions with a high incidence of HCC, this tumour accounts for over 90% of all primary malignant tumours of the liver, and in
Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma
The close association between chronic HBV infection, and the development of HCC, was first reported in 1975 [37] and the virus is now recognised to be the predominant cause of this tumour. HBV causes 55% of all HCC worldwide, and 89% of those in regions where the virus is endemic or hyperendemic [24], [25], [26]. Of the 360 million global carriers of HBV, as many as one-quarter will develop HCC [38], [39]. The incidence of the tumour in individuals chronically infected with HBV ranges from 340
Conflict of interest statement
The author has no conflict of interest with respect to any part of the content of this manuscript.
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