Urge Victorians at risk to get tested for hepatitis B

Victorians at risk of hepatitis B are being urged to get tested, as new data shows one in three Victorians living with hepatitis B have not been diagnosed, increasing their risk of developing liver cancer.

Data from the Doherty Institute’s Viral Hepatitis Inventory Project shows that an estimated 58,268 Victorians are living with chronic hepatitis B, while almost 20,000 of these people have not yet been diagnosed.

Hepatitis B is a virus that can affect the liver and, if undetected and untreated, can cause liver damage and cancer.

The report also found that an estimated 534,000 fewer hepatitis serology blood tests were performed in Victoria between 2019 and 2023 than expected. Despite a small increase in 2023, testing rates are still below pre-COVID rates.

Professor Benjamin Cowie from the Royal Melbourne Hospital, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis at the Doherty Institute, said the data highlights the need for action to improve early diagnosis of hepatitis B and its linkage to care.

“The decline in hepatitis B testing was expected during COVID with the shift in routine access to healthcare, but it is concerning to see that this has still not recovered in 2023, especially when we know that early detection of hepatitis B is critical to prevent progression to liver cancer,” he said.

In Victoria, people born in countries where hepatitis B is endemic are at greater risk of contracting hepatitis B.

“We must take action now to ensure Victorians living with hepatitis B are diagnosed so they can get the treatment and care they need to stay healthy and prevent liver cancer,” Professor Cowie said.

Cancer Council Victoria Chief Executive Todd Harper said liver cancer was the fastest rising cause of cancer-related deaths in Victoria, but expanding testing for hepatitis B could help significantly reduce the impact of the cancer on the community.

“Liver cancer has one of the lowest survival rates of cancers in Victoria and this is often because it is diagnosed at a late stage. This is why early detection of risk factors such as hepatitis B and linking diagnosed individuals to care and treatment are so important,” Harper said.

In 2022, 617 Victorians were diagnosed with liver cancer and 450 people died from the disease.

“Too many Victorians are dying from a cancer that could have been prevented with hepatitis B testing and treatment. It is so important that people get tested and that health care providers and community leaders have these conversations to link more people to the care they need to prevent a liver cancer diagnosis,” he said.