Healio - Hepatitis C associated with increased risk for various cancers in older patients

Hepatitis C associated with increased risk for various cancers in older patients
Hepatitis C virus infection was associated with an increased risk for cancers other than hepatocellular carcinoma among elderly patients, a registry-based case–control study found.

“Hepatitis C virus infection is the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States, and approximately 3 million individuals are infected with this virus,” Parag Mahale, MBBS, PhD, of the division of cancer epidemiology and genetics at the National Cancer Institute, and colleagues wrote, adding that HCV can lead to development of hepatocellular carcinoma. “Approximately 70% of HCV–infected individuals in the United States were born between 1945 and 1965, prompting the CDC to recommend a one-time screening for HCV in this birth cohort. As baby boomers age, HCV–associated cancers in the elderly population may become an important public health issue in the United States in the near future.”
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