Globally individuals develop and obtain disease. Among these diseases is the hepatitis B
virus (HBV) and breast cancer; two commonly spread/carried diseases, and potentially life
threatening diseases. Chronic hepatitis B infection alone “is a global public health issue with
>350 million hepatitis B virus carriers worldwide” (Ling, W H Y et, al,1931). Breast cancer has
also been on the rise infecting not only women but men as well. So, it is not uncommon for
individuals to have both simultaneously causing HBV reactivation; “the increase of the HBV
virus and chemotherapy will increase HBV reactivation” (Yeo, W et. al,1308) “the British
Journal of Cancer” implies. Although hepatitis B tends to go aways after >6 months, those that
have breast cancer and …show more content…
So, these individuals feel HBV surface DNA and HBV core DNA screenings
before chemotherapy are unnecessary and a waste of time and money. They fail to notice that
many patients that do not have HBV screening and undergo chemotherapy have had
“complicated treatments and liver damage, this complication has been reported to occur in 10%
to >50% of HBV carriers”(“Chinese University of Hong Kong”). Many patients do not even
know they are HBV carriers; these ones were either born with it, their mother passed it on to
them by her vaginal canal, or they did not experience the symptoms of HBV. In a sense the HBV
virus can be a ghost virus. HBV reactivation is real and is caused by chemotherapy, especially in
breast cancer patients.
All in all, HBV prevention is possible and should be taken seriously. Chemotherapy
patients lives can be saved by taking HBV surface and core DNA screenings; this is stressed
virus (HBV) and breast cancer; two commonly spread/carried diseases, and potentially life
threatening diseases. Chronic hepatitis B infection alone “is a global public health issue with
>350 million hepatitis B virus carriers worldwide” (Ling, W H Y et, al,1931). Breast cancer has
also been on the rise infecting not only women but men as well. So, it is not uncommon for
individuals to have both simultaneously causing HBV reactivation; “the increase of the HBV
virus and chemotherapy will increase HBV reactivation” (Yeo, W et. al,1308) “the British
Journal of Cancer” implies. Although hepatitis B tends to go aways after >6 months, those that
have breast cancer and …show more content…
So, these individuals feel HBV surface DNA and HBV core DNA screenings
before chemotherapy are unnecessary and a waste of time and money. They fail to notice that
many patients that do not have HBV screening and undergo chemotherapy have had
“complicated treatments and liver damage, this complication has been reported to occur in 10%
to >50% of HBV carriers”(“Chinese University of Hong Kong”). Many patients do not even
know they are HBV carriers; these ones were either born with it, their mother passed it on to
them by her vaginal canal, or they did not experience the symptoms of HBV. In a sense the HBV
virus can be a ghost virus. HBV reactivation is real and is caused by chemotherapy, especially in
breast cancer patients.
All in all, HBV prevention is possible and should be taken seriously. Chemotherapy
patients lives can be saved by taking HBV surface and core DNA screenings; this is stressed