Study: Hepatitis B linked to increased risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

New research has found that those infected with hepatitis B (HBV) are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), according to findings published in The Lancet Oncology journal.

Many studies have shown a distinct connection between hepatitis C and this disease, but little has been known about how hepatitis B may contribute to an increased risk. Researchers have concluded that because of the liver damage caused by the infection, the immune system is unable to activate certain white blood cells, which prevent the body from developing lymphoma.

In order to better understand the connection between these health problems, a team of American investigators examined the results of a Korean study that included more than 603,000 people. The researchers found that approximately 9 percent of this group were infected with hepatitis B.

After 14 years of follow ups, more than 130 of the HBV patients were diagnosed with NHL, while a total of 905 hepatitis-free patients had developed the lymphoma. These findings showed that out of 100,000 NHL patients, approximately 20 percent would test positive for hepatitis B while only 12 percent would be free of the infection.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2007 an estimated 43,000 new cases of hepatitis B were diagnosed in the U.S.