Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 318, Issue 8256, 21 November 1981, Pages 1129-1133
The Lancet

HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA AND HEPATITIS B VIRUS: A Prospective Study of 22 707 Men in Taiwan

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(81)90585-7Get rights and content

Abstract

A prospective general population study of 22 707 Chinese men in Taiwan has shown that the incidence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC) among carriers of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is much higher than among non-carriers (1158/100 000 vs 5/100 000 during 75 000 man-years of follow-up). The relative risk is 223. PHC and cirrhosis accounted for 54·3% of the 105 deaths among HBsAg carriers but accounted for only 1·5% of the 202 deaths among non-carriers. These findings support the hypothesis that hepatitis B virus has a primary role in the aetiology of PHC.

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