Hepatitis B Linked to Pancreatic Cancer

As reported by MedPage Today, a history of hepatitis B infection may be associated with the development of pancreatic cancer, researchers here said.

In a case-control study, patients with pathologically confirmed adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were more likely to have evidence of past hepatitis B than were matched controls, according to Manal Hassan, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

On the other hand, there was no association between pancreatic cancer and hepatitis C, Dr. Hassan and colleagues said in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Hassan cautioned that the study shows only an association between the two diseases. "More research is needed to determine whether this relationship is one of cause and effect," she said in a statement.

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