Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. »Read More

Hepatitis C is a serious liver infection caused by several types (genotypes) of hepatitis C virus. »Read More

Liver cancer is a type of cancer that causes abnormal growth in the cells of your liver (hepatocyte). »Read More

Viral hepatitis is an infection caused by a virus and can be spread from person to person.  Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. 

There are millions of individuals chronically infected with HBV or HCV who may eventually develop scaring of the liver and liver cancer. Most of those who are chronically infected with a hepatitis virus are usually unaware of their infection, and may inadvertently pass the viral infection on to others; this often includes loved ones.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is important to find because this disease can lead to liver cancer, liver failure, or cirrhosis, a condition that causes scarring of the liver. After infection, most people clear the virus after an acute (short-term) illness, but some can have a chronic (long-term) infection, lasting for more than 6 months and possibly for the rest of their lives. This disease is deserved immediate attention because it can be prevented with a vaccine; is easily diagnosed with blood tests, and treatments are available for people with this infection.

In Vietnam and all of Asia, hepatitis B is more common than in other countries around the world. In Vietnam, especially, as high as 10% to 20% of the population may be infected with hepatitis B. Therefore, everyone should be tested for this disease as part of their routine health care. However, certain groups of people are at even higher risk for having hepatitis B, including those who have unprotected sex with multiple partners or someone with hepatitis B; shares needles during intravenous (IV) drug use; is a man who has sex with men; lives with someone with hepatitis B infection; was born a mother with infection; or has a job with blood exposure.

Hepatitis B is spread by sexual contact; sharing needles and needle sticks among health care workers; or from mother to child during pregnancy. Symptoms range from mild to severe, usually starting a month after infection. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), weakness or fatigue (low energy), fever, and dark urine. In many cases, there are no symptoms for many years until the liver is completely scarred (cirrhosis) and symptoms of liver failure develop. Also, this disease puts people at risk for developing liver cancer, even when there is no more infection.

To diagnose hepatitis B, blood tests can check whether a person has the infection and whether it is acute or chronic. There are several blood tests for this disease, including testing the amount of virus in the blood; a person’s immune system’s response to infection (antibodies); and testing for specific parts of the virus in your blood (antigens). It is not possible to diagnose hepatitis B infection without blood tests.

Your doctor may need more blood tests to see if other infections are present; for example, your doctor may have to test your kidney and liver functions; recommend radiology tests to better see the liver; or perform a liver biopsy to see if there is any scarring present. These tests are important because this information helps your doctor decide if you would be someone who needs treatment soon, or if monitoring would be safe.

If your doctor determines that you have a short-term (acute) hepatitis B infection, then you may not need treatment and the infection would go away on its own. In this case, you may only need vaccine shots for the acute hepatitis infection (you would want this for hepatitis A as well) and good nutrition for healing.

There are several treatments for long-term (chronic) hepatitis B. The treatment choice and doses of medications may differ depending on your age and kidney function.

Medications include:

  • Antiviral medications: these attack the virus to prevent liver damage from happening, and include lamivudine (Epivir), adefovir (Hepsera), telbivudine (Tyzeka) and entevacir (Baraclude). Your doctor can help to figure out which medication is the best option.
  • Interferon alfa-2b (Intron A) is a treatment using a substance similar to one produced by the body to fight off infections.

If your liver has severe scarring, then a liver transplant may be an option.

Note: Anyone with hepatitis B infection should also get a vaccine for hepatitis A, another virus that causes liver infections and is common in Vietnam.

Scientists work to cure diseases, and new medications are being developed to treat hepatitis B infection. A clinical study is a research using human volunteers; it is intended to add to medical knowledge and can involve 1) only collecting information over time (observational) or 2) a medication or other treatment (interventional or experimental). For some people, the current medications may not be an option (or the best choice), so clinical studies may help allow access to other treatments. If this is an option being considered, then talk to your doctor and the study developers to learn more about the clinical study design and whether it is right for you.

The best way to avoid this infection is to avoid being exposed to it; avoid sex with people who have hepatitis B, and/or using drugs with needles. If you were exposed, call your doctor right away because getting a shot of antibodies against hepatitis B (immune globulin) within 12 hours may protect you from developing an infection. Also, there is an effective vaccine that can help prevent hepatitis B infection. The vaccine works by causing your body to produce its own protection (antibodies) against this disease.

NOTES

Links which may be useful:

  • Review Vietnamese-American article: Click Here
  • Clinical Trials website, learn about clinical studies: Click Here
  • National Library of Medicine Resources (Vietnamese): Click Here

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a serious liver infection caused by several types (genotypes) of hepatitis C virus. It is important to find, because this disease can lead to liver cancer, liver failure, or cirrhosis, a condition causing scarring of the liver. Most people who are exposed to the virus might not be able to get rid of it, but instead have a long-term (chronic) infection that might only be found years later when liver inflammation and scarring occur. This infection deserves immediate attention because it can be diagnosed with blood tests, and treatments are available.

In Vietnam, hepatitis C is more common than in some other countries around the world. In some studies, 1.5% to 3.5% of all Vietnamese people may be infected with hepatitis C. However, certain groups of people are at even higher risk for having hepatitis C. This includes people who share needles during intravenous (IV) drug use; has sex with numerous people; works in the health care environment; received blood transfusions in the past; or are on dialysis.

Hepatitis C is spread by body fluids; for example, by sexual contact, sharing needles; and needle sticks among health care workers. Symptoms range from mild to severe. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, yellowing of skin and eyes (jaundice), weakness or fatigue (low energy), fever, and dark urine. However, many people do not notice symptoms of infection for many years until the liver is completely scarred (cirrhosis) and symptoms of liver failure develop. Having cirrhosis also puts you at risk for developing liver cancer.

The best way to avoid this infection is to avoid being exposed to it: 1) avoid sex with people who have hepatitis C, and 2) using drugs with needles. There are no vaccines that can prevent hepatitis C.

To diagnose hepatitis C, blood tests can check whether you have the virus in your blood; how many viruses are in your blood; and your immune system’s response to the virus (antibodies). It is not possible to diagnose hepatitis C infection without blood tests.

Your doctor may need more blood tests to see if other infections are present; for example, your doctor may have to test your kidney and liver functions; recommend radiology tests to better see the liver; or perform a liver biopsy to see if there is any scarring present. These tests are important because this information helps your doctor decide if you would be someone who needs treatment soon, or if monitoring would be safe. If liver inflammation and scarring are mild, and blood virus levels are low, your doctor may suggest checking blood tests regularly to make sure the disease does not get worse.

There are several treatments for hepatitis C. The medication your doctor will prescribe to you depend on which virus is being treated (genotype 1 to 6). These medications include:

  • Antiviral medications: these medications attack the virus to prevent liver damage from happening and include sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (Harvoni), paritaprevir, ritonavir, and ombitasvir (Viekira Pak), grazoprevir and elbasvir (Zepatier), or ribavirin. Your doctor can help to figure out which medications are the right options.
  • Pegylated interferon is a treatment using a substance similar to one produced by the body to fight off infection

If your liver has severe scarring, then liver transplant may be an option.

Note: Anyone with hepatitis C infection should also get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B as well as other viruses that causes liver infections that are common in Vietnam.

Scientists work to cure diseases, and new medications are being developed to treat hepatitis B infection. A clinical study is research using human volunteers; it is intended to add to medical knowledge, and can involve 1) only collecting information over time (observational) or 2) a medication or other treatment (interventional or experimental). For some people, the current medications may not be an option (or the best choice), so clinical studies may help allow access to other treatments. If this is an option being considered, then talk to your doctor and the study developers to learn more about the clinical study design and whether it is right for you.

NOTES

Links which may be useful:

    • Review Vietnamese-American article: Click Here
    • Clinical Trials website, learn about clinical studies: Click Here
    • National Library of Medicine Resources (Vietnamese): Click Here

Liver Cancer

Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) is a type of cancer that causes abnormal growth in the cells of your liver (hepatocyte). Not all cases of cancer in the liver is hepatocellular carcinoma because cancers could have started in another area of the body and then spread to the liver; this is called metastatic cancer.

Diseases which causes changes in the DNA of liver cells (mutations) can cause liver cancer. Also, the presence of severe scarring in the liver (fibrosis and cirrhosis) from any liver disease can put you at risk for having liver cancer.

The symptoms are liver cancer may involve the whole body and include:

  • Losing weight without trying
  • Loss of appetite
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • yellowing of skin
  • abdominal swelling

The most important way to prevent liver cancer is to not get any type of liver disease, and to prevent severe liver scarring (cirrhosis) from happening; this means avoiding alcohol and treating infections (such as viral hepatitis) to stop liver inflammation and scarring.

Anyone with severe liver scarring (cirrhosis) and some liver infections (such as hepatitis B) should be tested yearly. Testing includes: 1) blood tests and 2) radiology studies (computed tomography or CT or CAT scans, and magnetic resonance imaging or MRI). If there is a concern for cancer, your doctor may ask to get some cells to look at under the microscope (biopsy).

If the cancer has spread or is advanced, treatment may not be an option. However, treatment options involve killing the cancer cells or removing the cancer from the body, and include:

  • Ablation therapy: some special procedures can stop the blood supply to the cancer cells and cause them to die.
  • Chemotherapy: some chemotherapies can target the cancer cells, causing them to die
  • Surgery: depending on the location of the cancer, sometimes part of the liver can be removed, or the cancer itself can be removed from the body using special surgeries
  • Liver transplantation: if liver scarring is also present, then liver transplant may be needed

The choice of treatment will depend on whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Your doctor can talk to you to decide the best treatment option.

Scientists work to cure diseases, and new medications are being developed to treat hepatitis B infection. A clinical study is research using human volunteers; it is intended to add to medical knowledge, and can involve 1) only collecting information over time (observational) or 2) a medication or other treatment (interventional or experimental). For some people, the current medications may not be an option (or the best choice), so clinical studies may help allow access to other treatments. If this is an option being considered, then talk to your doctor and the study developers to learn more about the clinical study design and whether it is right for you.

NOTES

Links which may be useful:

  • Review Vietnamese-American article: Click Here
  • Clinical Trials website, learn about clinical studies: Click Here
  • National Library of Medicine Resources (Vietnamese): Click Here

Support Our Work!

Scroll to Top