Dr. Wong on Risk Factors for Hepatitis B-Associated HCC

Robert Wong, MD, MS, assistant clinical professor of medicine, director of research and education, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Alameda Health System, Highland Hospital, discusses the risk factors of hepatitis B-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

The REVEAL-HBV study out of Taiwan showed that hepatitis B viral load directly correlates with risk for HCC. For patients with hepatitis B, the main risk factors for developing HCC are duration of infection, age, and presence of advanced disease—either cirrhosis or fibrosis, says Wong.

Wong adds that proper screening procedures are imperative in patients with hepatitis B in order to suppress the virus early and prevent the development of HCC.