Beijing, June 25 (IANS): Antiviral therapy can reduce the risk of liver cancer in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection, researchers have found.
The licensed oral antiviral agent nucleos(t)ide (NUC) resulted in a reduced long term risk for liver cancer chronic hepatitis B patients, the findings showed.
"Our findings suggest that NUC use reduces the risk of liver cancer in chronic hepatitis B patients, particularly in younger patients with minimal liver damage," said Chun-Ying Wu from National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan.
This study analysed the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common form of liver cancer, in patients treated with several different agents.
The NUC-treated cohort had a significantly lower seven-year incidence of liver cancer compared with a control group.
Liver cancer among hepatitis B patients causes approximately 745,000 deaths worldwide each year.
The findings appeared in the journal Gastroenterology.