- About
1 million people die each year (equivalent to 1-2 deaths/minute) from
liver cancer or liver failure caused by hepatitis B
- Asians
have the highest rate of hepatitis B compared to other ethnic groups
- Due
to hepatitis B liver cancer rates are 13x higher among Vietnamese
Americans, 8 times higher among Korean Americans, and 6x higher among
Chinese Americans than Caucasian Americans
- more
statistics
What
is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a serious disease caused by a virus that attacks the
liver. It can cause liver damage, liver cancer, and ultimately death.
A lot of people who get hepatitis B do not feel sick and may not know
they have it. They can pass it on to their children and other family
members without knowing it.
How
do you get Hepatitis B?
Most Asian Americans get hepatitis B when they are infants or young
children. The virus is passed from mother to child during birth or through
close personal contact in the household with blood of infected individuals,
such as contact between open wounds, sharing toothbrushes or razors,
and unsafe sex. Hepatitis B is not spread by sneezing, coughing, sharing
dishes, holding hands, or breast milk.
Why
is Hepatitis B so dangerous?
Hepatitis B is often not diagnosed because it is a silent disease. People
who have chronic hepatitis B are sometimes called carriers. Many hepatitis
B carriers not only feel healthy but have normal blood tests for liver
function. That's why it is important for you to ask your doctor to order
a specific blood test for the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen
(HBsAg).
Early
detection is important for a carrier. One out of four hepatitis B carriers
eventually die from liver cancer or cirrhosis (liver damage leading
to scarring and eventually death from liver failure). Some develop cancer
as early as 30 years of age. Every year, approximately one million Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders die from hepatitis B because they find
out too late for treatment to be effective. That's why screening for
hepatitis B is so critical.
What's
the good news?
There is a safe and effective vaccine which protects you from hepatitis
B for life. It is the FIRST ANTI-CANCER VACCINE. The vaccine
is given in the form of three shots over a period of six months. The
vaccine only works if you have not been infected with hepatitis B. All
babies born in the United States since 1991 should have received the
vaccine.
Is
there a cure?
Although currently there is no cure for hepatitis B, there is effective
treatment available. Carriers need to be regularly checked for liver
cancer every six months and have an annual ultrasound examination of
the liver.
Early
treatment of the hepatitis B infection can reduce the risk of further
liver damage. If blood levels of serum transaminase (ALT or SGPT) are
elevated, there are oral medications available that can effectively
suppress the virus.
For
additional information:
Chronic Hepatitis B: Update of Recommendations, Anna S. Lok, M.D., and Brian J. McMahon, M.D. Hepatology 39 (3): 1-5, March 2004.
AASLD Practice Guidelines: Chronic Hepatitis B, Anna S. Lok, M.D., and Brian J. McMahon, M.D. Hepatology 34 (6): 225-1241, December 2001.
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