Screening for Viral Hepatitis to Reduce the Incidence of Liver Cancer
<p id="p1">The hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses cause an estimated 248 and 51.3 million infections worldwide. Both infections can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Roughly two-thirds of primary liver cancers are attributable to HBV/HCV; HCC ranks seventh in incidence and...
Guardado en:
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| Formato: | Capítulo de libro |
| Lenguaje: | inglés |
| Publicado: |
IntechOpen
2025
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/89830 |
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| Sumario: | <p id="p1">The hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses cause an estimated 248 and 51.3 million infections worldwide. Both infections can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Roughly two-thirds of primary liver cancers are attributable to HBV/HCV; HCC ranks seventh in incidence and fourth in cancer mortality globally. Despite simple assays, most infections remain undiagnosed, limiting access to curative or suppressive antivirals. Risk-based testing has delivered the modest gains, raising interest in once-in-a-lifetime, general-population screening. This review synthesizes evidence on the cost-effectiveness of universal HBV/HCV screening. Published data are sparse and largely model-driven. To date, routine adult screening irrespective of risk is recommended only in the United States and China. Model outcomes are highly sensitive to key inputs—prevalence, test and treatment costs, linkage-to-care, and the strength of care cascades—constraining generalizability across settings. Without robust, empirical data demonstrating the clinical benefit, affordability, and programmatic feasibility, widescale adoption of universal HBV/HCV screening is unlikely in the near term. Priority evidence gaps include pragmatic trials and implementation studies that measure real-world yield, linkage, treatment initiation, and downstream reductions in decompensation and HCC.</p> |
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| ISBN: | 978-1-80632-102-5 |
| DOI: | 10.5772/intechopen.115653 |