Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus: Incidence and prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma in a North American urban population

Abstract

These data suggest that the incidence and prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B carriers in our area, an urban North American setting, are as high as in countries where hepatitis B is endemic. Current screening tests have significant false-positive and false-negative rates raising questions about the cost-benefit of screening for hepatocellular carcinoma in our study population.