Community-based prevention of hepatitis-B-related liver cancer: Australian insights

a resolution calling for a comprehensive approach to the prevention and control of all forms of viral hepatitis – which kills over 1 million people each year. Human infection with hepatitis B virus is highly endemic in many Asian countries.1 Such infection is generally acquired early in life and leads to lifelong chronic hepatitis B that has life-threatening complica-tions – such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancers (HCCs) – in 25 to 40 % of cases.2–4 Over 200 000 Australians are estimated to have chronic hepatitis B5 and liver cancer is now the seventh most com-mon cause of cancer-related death among Australian men.6 In Australia, despite these observations, there is no systematic screening for chronic hepatitis B, even among at-risk groups, and many cases are only detected late, after the onset of com-plications. In New South Wales – Australia’s most populou