Newswise— Fremont, CA(Tue 15-Jan-2008): A research scientist at the Northern California Cancer Center, a leading, independent, population-based research organization, has recently collaborated with colleagues at the Asian Liver Center at Stanford University on two papers that demonstrate the effectiveness of culturally aligned interventions that may help reduce the disproportionate burden of chronic HBV infection and liver cancer among Asian/Pacific Islander Americans.

"Our studies show that community-based organizations, health care professionals, researchers, and the general public can work together to increase awareness and prevention of chronic HBV infection and liver cancer in the Asian and Pacific Islander community," explained Ellen Chang, Sc.D. of the Northern California Cancer Center. "HBV testing is the key: anyone who is chronically infected with HBV should be regularly screened for early liver cancer, while anyone who is unprotected can receive a vaccine that will protect them against HBV."

Asian Americans are proportionally the fastest growing racial group in the US and the majority are immigrants from eastern or southeastern Asia – areas with a high prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and, consequently, high incidence of liver cancer. In these regions, the prevalence of chronic HBV infection is over 10%, compared with less than 0.5% in the US. As a result, the incidence of liver cancer among Asian/Pacific Islander Americans is over three times that of non-Hispanic White Americans.

"This work is vitally important because detection of this infection allows for routine liver cancer screening in the high-risk chronically infected population, as well as treatment using effective antiviral therapies to decrease the risk of progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer," continued Chang. "Despite the major public health impact of liver disease, Asian/Pacific Islander American communities have low levels of awareness and knowledge regarding HBV and liver cancer. Poor HBV-related knowledge is a barrier to the prevention, diagnosis, and management of this chronic infection. And, because chronic HBV infection usually causes no symptoms, many people who are infected don't even know they have it."