Hepatitis B – stopping liver cancer before it starts

Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer, especially among the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities.  That’s why the Cancer Prevention Institute of California has made studying “hep B” a priority.  In a recent, breakthrough study, CPIC and its research partners tested an awareness campaign in San Francisco where almost a third of the population is API.  Thousands of high-risk individuals were vaccinated, preventing them from developing hep B or liver cancer stemming from hep B.  Equally as important, thousands more were screened for chronic hepatitis B, enabling those who tested positive to be routinely screened for liver cancer so the disease can be caught in the early stages.

The study found that 30% of the city’s primary care health providers could not accurately identify the screening test for hep B and most underestimated the burden of hep B among the API population. Because of the CPIC campaign, most primary care providers and ALL city hospitals have now pledged to routinely screen for hep B.  The campaign has been so successful it is being replicated in major U.S. cities. 

Your support helps us prevent cancer before it begins in communities most at risk across California.  Please donate today.

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