While the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) – primary liver cancer—is higher among patients who have HIV, it’s even higher among patients who have HIV and detectable hepatitis B, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Among participants with HIV and hepatitis B, suppressing detectable hepatitis B infection with the use of antiretroviral therapy cut the risk of developing HCC by 58 percent. These findings suggest that the best care for individuals with HIV and detectable hepatitis B includes sustained hepatitis B suppression with antiretroviral therapy in order to cut the risk of developing HCC. The study is published in the journal Hepatology.
