B News...You Can Use - December 2009 Volume 6 Issue 4

[Guest guest]

December 2009 Volume 6 Issue 4

B News...You Can Use

The e-newsletter of the Hepatitis B Foundation

<http://www.baldwinpublishing.com/home/siteCode/HepBInform/>

www.hepb.org

Online Survey for Parents of Children with Hepatitis B

Please help HBF collect this important information!!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB229Q2LUXL26

The Hepatitis B Foundation has initiated an important program that focuses on

the needs of children with hepatitis, a group that is too often overlooked. In

an effort to better identify the specific information needs of these children

and their parents we are gathering information through an online survey and need

YOUR help!

If you are a parent, please take just a few minutes to complete our short,

user-friendly online survey. Questions include type of care your child receives,

barriers to care, treatment issues, and possible adverse experiences. If you

know someone who is a parent, then please forward this request to them for their

help!

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB229Q2LUXL26

Please know that all responses will be kept strictly confidential and no

personal information will be included in our published results. If you have any

questions, feel free to contact Chari Cohen.

Thank you so much for your time and best wishes for a healthy, happy holiday

season!

Your Friends at the Hepatitis B Foundation

U.S. Legislator Battling Hepatitis C

Congressman Hank , of the 4th congressional district in Atlanta,

announced on December 7 that he has been battling a chronic hepatitis C

infection for over a decade. He learned of his infection in 1998, and is

currently undergoing an experimental treatment to put the virus into remission.

Although he does not know how he contracted his infection, the hepatitis C virus

(HCV) is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood. It is believed

that at least 4 million people in the U.S. have HCV, though many infections

continue to be undiagnosed due to the silent nature of the infection. Mr.

is the first member of Congress to publicly acknowledge having hepatitis

C and has voiced his active support of the current Viral Hepatitis and Liver

Cancer Prevention and Control Act (HR 3974) that was recently introduced in

Congress.

Liver Cancer Still Rising in Both Men and Women

Interventions needed to reduce death rates

For the third consecutive year, liver cancer incidence (new cases) and mortality

(deaths) rates both increased, according to the recently published Annual Report

to the Nation on the Status of Cancer which offers detailed results of a

collaborative effort to provide updated information regarding cancer trends in

the U.S. by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention (CDC), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the North

American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR). Liver cancer was the

second cause of cancer death for Asian and Pacific Islander men (behind lung

cancer). Liver cancer was also the only cancer whose death rate increased among

both men and women. Because of this, the sponsoring organizations conclude that

we need to " identify and implement interventions that can reduce mortality from

this cancer. "

HBF 2009 Annual Report

Download it now!!

The Hepatitis B Foundation's 2009 Annual Report celebrates that today we have

become a primary resource for information about HBV and our website www.hepb.org

receives 1 million visits from 180 countries. We also probably have the largest

concentration of HBV scientists working together through the creation of our

research institute - the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research (IHVR) - and

partnership with Drexel University.

With 23 principal investigators (13 working in IHVR labs and 10 sponsored by HBF

in Drexel labs) and additional research support staff, we are now under one roof

in the PA Biotechnology Center that we created to accelerate our research

mission.

Although the economy took a dip this year, the need for helping those with HBV

remained constant. We did not relax nor reduce our effort. Please enjoy reading

about our achievements this year, and know that we look forward to the new

opportunities in 2010!

Surveillance for Liver Cancer Improves Survival in Asian Patients with Hepatitis

B

Recently reported results of a study in the U.S. found that Asian American

patients with chronic HBV who underwent surveillance for primary liver cancer

(hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC) using alpha-fetoprotein (AFP blood test) and

ultrasound had improved survival over patients who had no history of

surveillance. The study looked at individuals between 1991 to 2008 who visited a

community clinic in California. Surveillance identified tumors at earlier stages

in patients who had better liver function. This related to improved 1,3, and

5-year survival over those who presented to the clinic already with HCC. The

researchers conclude that HCC surveillance should be included as standard of

care for chronic HBV patients. [Journal of Digestive Diseases and Sciences,

Online Early]

Must Reads

Hepatitis B publications you don't want to miss!!

·Treatment of viral hepatitis in pregnancy. Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy.

December 2009;10(17):2801-2809.

·Hepatitis B therapies and antiviral resistance detection and management. Expert

Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology. December 2009;3(6): 693-699.

·Peginterferon-alpha-2a: A review of its use in chronic hepatitis B. Drugs.

2009;69(18):2633-60.

·Recommendation for screening, monitoring and referral of pediatric chronic

hepatitis B. Pediatrics, November 2009;124:e1007-e1013.

Boost Your " B " Knowledge

· Downloadable Slideset: Beyond the Tip of the Iceberg: Strategies to

Ensure Optimal HBV Screening, Diagnosis and Initial Therapy. Clinical Care

Options for Hepatitis.

· Recommendations for Identification and Public Health Management of

Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection. Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention Continuing Medical Education Program continuing education course

offering free online CME, CNE, CEU, and CECH credits. Expires Sept. 19, 2010.

Calendar of Events

·February 5, 2010 - Southeastern Viral Hepatitis Summit, Research Triangle Park,

N.C. Hosted by Hepatitis Foundation International.

·February 20, 2010 - AWARE for All - Clinical Research Education Day! Nashville,

TN. Hosted by the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research

Participation (CISCRP).

·March 25-28, 2010 - APASL 2010, Beijing, China. Hosted by the Asian Pacific

Association for the Study of the Liver. Dr. Block, HBF president, has

been invited to give a talk at APASL.

·April 10, 2010 - Annual Crystal Ball Gala, Lansdale, Pennsylvania. Hosted by

the Hepatitis B Foundation. Distinguished Scientist 2010 Award Recipient: R.

Palmer Beasley, MD, Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Public Health, The

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.