Published
22 Nov, 2017
Chronic hepatitis B or C infection is the most common risk factor for liver cancer.1 Together these diseases are estimated to cause up to 80% of liver cancer cases globally.2 Studies have shown that the risk of developing liver cancer can be up to 20 times higher in people with chronic hepatitis infection than among the general population.3,4
It has been projected that in 2016, there will be 1,840 new diagnoses and 1,805 deaths due to liver cancer in Australia. In addition, the age-standardised mortality rate for liver cancer has been increasing over time, from 2 deaths per 100,000 persons in 1980 to 6 per 100,000 in 2013 (see NCCI Indicator – Mortality).
Data
Summary
Notification rates for Hepatitis B and C differed by sex
In 2015 the Hepatitis B notification rates for males were 29 per 100,000 personsn compared to 26 for females. For Hepatitis C, notifications for males (61 per 100,000 persons) were nearly double that for females (31 per 100,000 persons).
Notification rates for Hepatitis B and C have decreased over time
From 2006 to 2015 notification rates for Hepatitis B and hepatitis C have both decreased (Hepatitis B from 31 to 28 per 100,000 persons and Hepatitis C from 60 to 46 per 100,000 persons), although rates have remained largely unchanged since 2011.
Revision Type
Minor
Version Number
1.1