Risk of lymphoma increases with hepatitis C virus infectionMay 09, 2007People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at an increased risk of developing certain lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system), according to a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health, and Baylor College of Medicine, found that HCV infection increased the risk of developing non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by 20 percent to 30 percent. The risk of developing Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (a rare type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) went up by 300 percent and the risk for cryoglobulinemia, a condition marked by abnormal levels of certain antibodies in the blood, was also elevated for those with HCV infections. The researchers looked at patient records collected from Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals across the United States between 1996 and 2004. Researchers selected more than 700,000 records; 146,394 represented patients who were diagnosed with the hepatitis C virus, while 572,293 represented patients who were not. Based on that review, researchers determined, first, that the patients infected with HCV had a higher risk of developing lymphoma and, second, that HCV infection preceded development of the lymphoma. The risk of lymphomas in HCV-infected patients was charted across more than five years of follow-up. "This is one of the largest studies ever conducted to look at the relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and cancers of the lymphatic system," said NCI Director John E. Niederhuber, M.D. "Since so much is still unknown about the causes of lymphoma, establishing which factors contribute to the disease is the first step in finding ways to reduce its incidence and lessen mortality." HCV causes hepatitis, which is an inflammation of the liver. The HCV virus is carried through the blood and is passed from person to person through the exchange of bodily fluids -- via shared needles, open wounds, and sexual contact, among other means. HCV is also known to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. "Although the risk of developing lymphomas is small, our research suggests that screening of HCV-infected individuals could identify conditions which may lead to cancer. It might then be possible to prevent progression to lymphoma," said investigator Eric A. Engels, M.D., from the Viral Epidemiology Branch of NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. "More research is needed to further clarify the relationship between HCV infection and lymphoma." In the United States, there are more than 4.1 million people living with hepatitis C virus infection -- about 1.6 percent of the population. In 2007, it is estimated that 71,380 Americans will be diagnosed with some type of lymphoma, which will take 19,730 lives. The researchers note that this study was limited to military veterans who used the VA system, so the results may not be applicable to the overall U.S. population. The study population was mostly men (97 percent), the majority of patients were white, and the average age was 52 years. Patients in the HCV-infected group were more likely to have served during the Vietnam era (1964-1975) than were uninfected patients in the comparison group. Previous studies found that the prevalence of HCV infection is much higher among U.S. veterans who use the VA medical system (5 percent) than in the general population, where only 1.6 percent carry the virus. Several factors have likely contributed to this higher prevalence, including demographics, socioeconomic status, and particularly a history of injection drug use or blood transfusions received before 1990, when screening for hepatitis C virus was started. NIH/National Cancer Institute |
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| Related Hepatitis Current Events and Hepatitis News Articles Extending treatment after liver transplant may benefit patients with hepatitis C recurrence Extending hepatitis C treatment for liver transplant patients beyond current practice results in high rates of clearance of the hepatitis C virus from the blood, as well as a low rate of relapse, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study. Hepatitis B does not increase risk for pancreatic cancer A Henry Ford Hospital study found that hepatitis B does not increase the risk for pancreatic cancer - and that only age is a contributing factor. Governor recognizes stem cell research at Einstein Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University hosted a roundtable discussion on stem cell research with New York Governor David A. Paterson today. Liver cells grown from patients' skin cells Scientists at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee have successfully produced liver cells from patients' skin cells opening the possibility of treating a wide range of diseases that affect liver function. Injury and hazards in home health care nursing are a growing concern Patients continue to enter home healthcare ''sicker and quicker," often with complex health problems that may require extensive nursing care. Medication effective for acute liver failure in early stages of disease The antidote for acute liver failure caused by acetaminophen poisoning also can treat acute liver failure due to most other causes if given before severe injury occurs, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers and their colleagues at 21 other institutions have found. New aging studies improving vaccine efficacy for the elderly A new study from the Trudeau Institute in Saranac Lake, New York, demonstrates that immune system cells important for both pathogen resistance and vaccine efficacy live longer in older animals but because of this longevity acquire functional defects. Discovery could improve hepatitis C treatment Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers are part of an international team that has discovered a genetic variation that could identify those people infected with hepatitis C who are most likely to benefit from current treatments. Researchers prolong the plasma half-life of biopharmaceutical proteins Many biopharmaceuticals comprise small proteins that are quickly eliminated from the body. Scientists at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) combine such small proteins with a kind of molecular balloon that swells and thus prolongs the half-life of the proteins in the body. Penn State College of Medicine research isolates liver cancer stem cells prior to tumor formation Penn State College of Medicine researchers, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Southern California, have taken an important step in understanding the role of stem cells in development of liver cancer. More Hepatitis Current Events and Hepatitis News Articles |
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