(Press-News.org) April 24, 2015, Vienna , Austria: Results announced today at The International Liver CongressTM 2015 show that cancer rates in patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) were significantly increased compared to the non-HCV cohort. The researchers suggest an extrahepatic manifestation of HCV may be an increased risk of cancer.
The aim of the study was to describe the rates of all cancers in the cohort of HCV patients compared to the non-HCV population. Known cancer types associated with hepatitis C include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal and prostate cancers, as well as liver cancer.
A retrospective study at Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, USA, was conducted. The study authors recorded all cancer diagnoses in patients over 18 years of age with or without HCV during 2008-2012. Within the timeframe of the study 145,210 patient years were included in the HCV cohort, and 13,948,826 patient years were included in the non-HCV cohort.
In the HCV cohort there were 2,213 cancer diagnoses (1,524/100,000) during the 5-year period and 1,654 cancer diagnoses when liver cancer was excluded (1,139/100,000). In the non-HCV cohort there were 84,419 cancer diagnoses (605/100,000) during the same 5-year period and 83,795 (601/100,000) when liver cancer was excluded. When all cancers are considered the rate is 2.5 times higher in the HCV cohort; when liver cancers are excluded, the rate is still almost 2 times higher.
Lisa Nyberg, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente, Southern California, senior author of the study, explains: "The results suggest that cancer rates are increased in the cohort of hepatitis C patients versus the non-hepatitis C patients, both including and excluding liver cancers. These findings certainly point to the suggestion that hepatitis C may be associated with an increased risk of cancer. However, the findings must be interpreted with caution, as the study also showed that confounding factors such as alcohol abuse, tobacco, obesity, and diabetes modified the results."
Dr Laurent Castera, Vice-Secretary, European Association for the Study of the Liver, commented: "This data adds to the evidence bank linking hepatitis C with an increased risk of cancer, and highlights that there is still a long way to go in order to fully understand this complex and devastating disease."
INFORMATION:
About The International Liver Congress™
This annual congress is the biggest event in the EASL calendar, attracting scientific and medical experts from around the world to learn about the latest in liver research. Specialists share research studies and findings, and discuss the hottest topics related to liver disease. This year, the congress is expected to attract approximately 10,000 delegates from all corners of the globe. 2015 is a very special year for EASL and the hepatology community as they will celebrate the 50th annual meeting. The International Liver Congress™ takes place from April 22-26, 2015, Vienna, Austria.
About EASL
Since EASL's foundation in 1966, this not-for-profit organisation has grown to over 4,000 members from more than 100 countries around the world. EASL is the leading liver association in Europe, it attracts the foremost hepatology experts and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in European liver policy.
Contact
For more information, please contact the ILC Press Office at:
ilc.press@easloffice.eu or
+44 (0)20 3580 5444
INCREASED CANCER RATES IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC HEPATITIS C: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CANCER REGISTRY IN A LARGE U.S. HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION
Anders H. Nyberg* 1, Joanie W. Chung2, Jiaxiao M. Shi3, T. C. Cheetham3, Kevin M. Chiang4, Reina Haque5, Zobair M. Younossi6, Lisa M. Nyberg1
1Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, 2Kaiser Permanete, Research and Evaluation, 3Research and Evaluation, Kaiser Permanente, Pasadena, 4Pharmacy Analytical Services, Kaiser Permanente, Downey, 5Research and Evaluatuion, Kaiser Permanente, Pasadena, 6Center for Liver Diseases, Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, United States
Background and Aims: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an oncogenic virus, and an increased risk of malignancy in HCV has previously been reported. Cancer types associated with HCV include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, renal and prostate cancers; as well as liver cancer. The aim of this study was to describe cancer rates in our cohort of HCV patients compared to cancer rates in the non-HCV population.
Methods: This is a retrospective study at Kaiser Permanente Southern California (KPSC), a large health maintenance organization with 3.5-4 million members. The KPSC cancer registry is an accredited program maintaining a complete profile of all cancer diagnoses for all KP members. In this study, we recorded all cancer diagnoses in patients ?18 years of age with or without HCV during 2008-2012.
Results: From 2008 to 2012, 145,210 patient years were included in the HCV cohort, and 13,948,826 patient years were included in the non HCV cohort. Mean age at cancer diagnosis in the HCV cohort was 61.8 years, in the non-HCV cohort, 63.5 years. In the HCV cohort there were 2,213 cancer diagnoses (1524/100000) during the 5 year period and 1,654 cancer diagnoses when liver cancer was excluded (1139/100000). In the non HCV cohort there were 84,419 cancer diagnoses (605/100000) during the same 5 year period and 83,795 (601/100000) when liver cancer was excluded. The rate ratios between the HCV and non HCV cohorts for the total number of cancer cases including and excluding liver cancer are shown in Table 1.
Conclusions: In our cohort of Hepatitis C infected patients, cancer rates were significantly increased compared to the non-HCV cohort. This suggests that another extrahepatic manifestation of HCV may be an increased risk of cancer.
April 24, 2015, Vienna, Austria: Findings were presented today at The International Liver CongressTM 2015 on a novel therapeutic candidate for a genomically defined subset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with an aberrant fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) pathway. BLU-554, a small molecule inhibitor of FGFR4, has been identified as a potential treatment option for up to 30% of HCC patients. In preclinical studies, the investigational drug was shown to be potent and 'exquisitely selective' for FGFR4 compared to other kinases targeting the FGFR family. ...
April 24, 2015, Vienna, Austria: Results from a large population-based cohort of almost a million people in the UK found that the chances of dying from non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), over a 14-year period, was approximately 50% higher than for those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Reported today at The International Liver CongressTM 2015, the large study analysed the overall burden of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality across the spectrum of NAFLD. The four stages of NAFLD are steatosis (or simple fatty liver), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis ...
Cincinnati, OH, April 24, 2015 -- Sleep-related deaths are the most common cause of death for infants 1-12 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants sleep on their back on a firm mattress, without loose bedding. However, many parents use sitting or carrying devices, such as car seats, swings, or bouncers, as alternative sleeping environments, which could lead to potential injury or death. In a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers describe how the improper use of these items can lead to infant deaths.
Erich ...
Turmeric - the familiar yellow spice common in Indian and Asian cooking - may play a therapeutic role in oral cancers associated with human papillomavirus, according to new research published in ecancermedicalscience.
One of the herb's key active ingredients - an antioxidant called curcumin - appears to have a quelling effect on the activity of human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is a virus that promotes the development of cervical and oral cancer. There is no cure, but curcumin may offer a means of future control.
"Turmeric has established antiviral and anti-cancer properties," ...
SEATTLE - Today, Americans are more likely to be heavy drinkers and binge drinkers than in recent years due in large part to rising rates of drinking among women, according to a new analysis of county-level drinking patterns in the United States.
By contrast, the percentage of people who drink any alcohol has remained relatively unchanged over time, according to the latest research by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington.
Published in the American Journal of Public Health on April 23, the study "Drinking patterns in ...
SAN FRANCISCO - New ophthalmology research from the University of Miami shows that dry eye - the little understood culprit behind red, watery, gritty feeling eyes - strikes most often in spring, just as airborne allergens are surging. The study marks the first time that researchers have discovered a direct correlation between seasonal allergens and dry eye, with both pollen and dry eye cases reaching a yearly peak in the month of April. The paper was published online today in Ophthalmology, the journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Dry eye can significantly ...
GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- New genetic data suggest the red lionfish invasion in the Caribbean Basin and Western Atlantic started in multiple locations, not just one as previously believed, according to a new study led by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Florida has often been cited as the likely location of the introduction, but the new research suggests multiple introductions occurred, with some potentially coming from the more southern parts of the range. The Caribbean Basin stretches from parts of Florida's Gulf Coast through South America.
Genetically unraveling the progression ...
GAINESVILLE, Fla.--Many loggerhead sea turtles that nest in Dry Tortugas National Park head to rich feeding sites in the Bahamas after nesting, a discovery that may help those working to protect this threatened species.
Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey used satellites to track the population of loggerheads that nest in the Dry Tortugas - the smallest subpopulation of loggerheads in the northwest Atlantic - and found the turtles actually spend a considerable portion of their lives in the Bahamas, returning to the Dry Tortugas to nest every two-to-five years. ...
Why do animals fight with members of other species? A nine-year study by UCLA biologists says the reason often has to do with "obtaining priority access to females" in the area.
The scientists observed and analyzed the behavior of several species of Hetaerina damselflies, also known as rubyspot damselflies. For the study, published this month in the print edition of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, researchers observed more than 100 damselflies a day in their natural habitat along rivers and streams in Texas, Arizona and Mexico.
Male damselflies always ...
As the world's exponentially growing demand for digital data slows the Internet and cell phone communication, City College of New York researchers may have just figured out a new way to increase its speed.
Giovanni Milione, a PhD student under City College Distinguished Professor of Science and Engineering Robert Alfano, led the pioneering experiment conducted at the University of Southern California with collaborators from Corning Incorporated, Scotland, Italy and Canada.
"Conventional methods of data transmission use light which has the fastest speed in the universe. ...
