Hepatitis C virus infection and risk of cancer: a population-based cohort study.
BACKGROUND
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with an increased risk of primary liver cancer; however, 5- and 10-year risk estimates are needed. The association of HCV with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is uncertain and the association with other cancers is unknown.


METHODS
We conducted a nationwide, population-based cohort study of 4,349 HCV-infected patients in Denmark, computing standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of cancer incidence in HCV infected patients compared with cancer incidence of the general population. We calculated 5- and 10-year risks of developing cancer, stratifying our analyses based on the presence of HIV coinfection and cirrhosis.


RESULTS
WE RECORDED AN INCREASED RISK OF PRIMARY LIVER CANCER (SIR: 76.63 [95% CI: 51.69-109.40]), NHL (SIR: 1.89 [95% CI: 0.39-5.52]), and several smoking- and alcohol-related cancers in HCV infected patients without HIV coinfection. HCV-infected patients without HIV coinfection had a 6.3% (95% CI: 4.6%-8.7%) risk of developing cancer and 2.0% (95% CI: 1.1%-3.8%) risk of developing primary liver cancer within 10 years.


CONCLUSIONS
We confirmed the association of HCV infection with primary liver cancer and NHL. We also observed an association between HCV infection and alcohol- and smoking-related cancers.
Omland
Lars Haukali
LH
Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Denmark;
Farkas
Dora Körmendiné
DK
Jepsen
Peter
P
Obel
Niels
N
Pedersen
Lars
L