• Please log in or register to access this feature.

Special Article

You have free access to this content

Hepatitis C screening: Getting it right†

  1. Brian R. Edlin1,2,*

Article first published online: 24 DEC 2012

DOI: 10.1002/hep.26194

Issue

Hepatology

Hepatology

Volume 57, Issue 4, pages 1644–1650, April 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Edlin, B. R. (2013), Hepatitis C screening: Getting it right. Hepatology, 57: 1644–1650. doi: 10.1002/hep.26194

Author Information

  1. 1

    National Development and Research Institutes, New York, NY, 10010

  2. 2

    Departments of Public Health and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY

*Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health and Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY 10021

  1. †

    Potential conflict of interest: Nothing to report.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 APR 2013
  2. Article first published online: 24 DEC 2012
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 12 DEC 2012 11:43AM EST
  4. Manuscript Accepted: 5 DEC 2012
  5. Manuscript Received: 26 OCT 2012

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (381K)

References

  • 1
    Institute of Medicine (ed.). Hepatitis and liver cancer: a national strategy for prevention and control of hepatitis B and C. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2010.
  • 2
    Ly KN, Xing J, Klevens RM, Jiles RB, Ward JW, Holmberg SD. The increasing burden of mortality from viral hepatitis in the United States between 1999 and 2007. Ann Intern Med 2012; 156: 271-278.
  • 3
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adults: recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2004; 140: 462-464.
  • 4
    Alter MJ, Seeff LB, Bacon BR, Thomas DL, Rigsby MO, Di Bisceglie AM. Testing for hepatitis C virus infection should be routine for persons at increased risk for infection. Ann Intern Med 2004; 141: 715-717.
  • 5
    National Institutes of Health. Management of hepatitis C: 2002. NIH Consens State Sci Statements 2002 Jun 10-12;19:1-46. Accessed at: http://consensus.nih.gov/2002/2002HepatitisC2002116html.htm on 11 June 2012.
  • 6
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Chronic Hepatitis C: Current Disease Management. NIH Publication No. 03-4230. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health; 2003.
  • 7
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommendations for prevention and control of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and HCV-related chronic disease. MMWR Recomm Rep 1998; 47: 1-39.
  • 8
    Wright TL, Yee H. VA Treatment Recommendations (Version 5.0). Patients with chronic hepatitis C. Federal Practitioner 2003; 20: 1-33.
  • 9
    Strader DB, Wright T, Thomas DL, Seeff LB. AASLD Practice Guideline: diagnosis, management, and treatment of hepatitis C. HEPATOLOGY 2004; 39: 1147-1171.
    Direct Link:
  • 10
    Dienstag JL, McHutchison JG. American Gastroenterological Association medical position statement on the management of hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 2006; 130: 225-230.
  • 11
    Calonge N, Randhawa G. The meaning of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force grade I recommendation: screening for hepatitis C virus infection. Ann Intern Med 2004; 141: 718-719.
  • 12
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults: Draft Recommendation Statement. AHRQ Publication No. 12-05174-EF-2. 26 November 2012. Accessed at: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/draftrec2.htm on 27 November 2012.
  • 13
    Rein DB, Smith BD, Wittenborn JS, Lesesne SB, Wagner LD, Roblin DW, et al. The cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C antibody in U.S. primary care settings. Ann Intern Med 2012; 156: 263-270.
  • 14
    Edlin BR. Perspective: test and treat this silent killer. Nature 2011; 474: S18-S19.
  • 15
    Edlin BR. Five million Americans infected with the hepatitis C virus: a corrected estimate. HEPATOLOGY 2005; 42( 4 Suppl 1): 213A.
  • 16
    Jacobson IM, Cacoub P, Dal Maso L, Harrison SA, Younossi ZM. Manifestations of chronic hepatitis C virus infection beyond the liver. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010; 8: 1017-1029.
  • 17
    Poynard T, McHutchison J, Manns M, Trepo C, Lindsay K, Goodman Z, et al. Impact of pegylated interferon alfa-2b and ribavirin on liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Gastroenterology 2002; 122: 1303-1313.
  • 18
    McHutchison JG, Ware JE, Jr., Bayliss MS, Pianko S, Albrecht JK, Cort S, et al. The effects of interferon alpha-2b in combination with ribavirin on health related quality of life and work productivity. J Hepatol 2001; 34: 140-147.
  • 19
    Poordad F, McCone J Jr, Bacon BR, Bruno S, Manns MP, Sulkowski MS, et al. Boceprevir for untreated chronic HCV genotype 1 infection. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 1195-1206.
  • 20
    Jacobson IM, McHutchison JG, Dusheiko G, Di Bisceglie AM, Reddy KR, Bzowej NH, et al. Telaprevir for previously untreated chronic hepatitis C virus infection. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 2405-2416.
  • 21
    Swain MG, Lai MY, Shiffman ML, Cooksley WG, Zeuzem S, Dieterich DT, et al. A sustained virologic response is durable in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with peginterferon alfa-2a and ribavirin. Gastroenterology 2010; 139: 1593-1601.
  • 22
    Butt AA, Wang X, Moore CG. Effect of hepatitis C virus and its treatment on survival. HEPATOLOGY 2009; 50: 387-392.
    Direct Link:
  • 23
    Backus LI, Boothroyd DB, Phillips BR, Belperio P, Halloran J, Mole LA. A sustained virologic response reduces risk of all-cause mortality in patients with hepatitis C. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2011; 9: 509-516 e1.
  • 24
    Pearlman BL, Traub N. Sustained virologic response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a cure and so much more. Clin Infect Dis 2011; 52: 889-900.
  • 25
    Singal AG, Volk ML, Jensen D, Di Bisceglie AM, Schoenfeld PS. A sustained viral response is associated with reduced liver-related morbidity and mortality in patients with hepatitis C virus. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010; 8: 280-288.
  • 26
    Ng V, Saab S. Effects of a sustained virologic response on outcomes of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2011; 9: 923-930.
  • 27
    Singal AK, Singh A, Jaganmohan S, Guturu P, Mummadi R, Kuo YF, et al. Antiviral therapy reduces risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010; 8: 192-199.
  • 28
    Chung RT. A watershed moment in the treatment of hepatitis C. N Engl J Med 2012; 366: 273-275.
  • 29
    Alter HJ, Liang TJ. Hepatitis C: the end of the beginning and possibly the beginning of the end. Ann Intern Med 2012; 156: 317-318.
  • 30
    Harris RP, Helfand M, Woolf SH, Lohr KN, Mulrow CD, Teutsch SM, et al. Current methods of the US Preventive Services Task Force: a review of the process. Am J Prev Med 2001; 20( 3 Suppl): 21-35.
  • 31
    Chou R. Routine screening for chronic human immunodeficiency virus infection: why don't the guidelines agree? Epidemiol Rev 2011; 33: 7-19.
  • 32
    Guirguis-Blake J, Calonge N, Miller T, Siu A, Teutsch S, Whitlock E. Current processes of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: refining evidence-based recommendation development. Ann Intern Med 2007; 147: 117-122.
  • 33
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Section 5: Methods for Arriving at a Recommendation. In: Procedure Manual. AHRQ Publication No. 08-05118-EF: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2008: 44-55. Accessed at: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf08/methods/procmanual5.htm on 22 March 2012.
  • 34
    Trepka MJ, Zhang G, Leguen F, Obiaja K, Malow RM, De La Rosa M. Benefits and adverse effects of hepatitis C screening: early results of a screening program. J Public Health Manag Pract 2007; 13: 263-269.
  • 35
    Neumann PJ, Cohen JT, Hammitt JK, Concannon TW, Auerbach HR, Fang C, et al. Willingness-to-pay for predictive tests with no immediate treatment implications: a survey of US residents. Health Econ 2012; 21: 238-251.
    Direct Link:
  • 36
    Coffin PO, Stevens AM, Scott JD, Stekler JD, Golden MR. Patient acceptance of universal screening for hepatitis C virus infection. BMC Infect Dis 2011; 11: 160.
  • 37
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening and behavioral counseling interventions in primary care to reduce alcohol misuse: recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2004; 140: 554-556.
  • 38
    Chou R, Cottrell EB, Wasson N, Rahman B, Guise J-M. Screening for Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adults. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 69. AHRQ Publication No. 12(13)-MEHC090-MEF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2012.
  • 39
    Kimer N, Dahl EK, Gluud LL, Krag A. Antiviral therapy for prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ Open 2012; 2: e001313.
  • 40
    Kanwal F, Schnitzler MS, Bacon BR, Hoang T, Buchanan PM, Asch SM. Quality of care in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med 2010; 153: 231-239.
  • 41
    Arora S, Thornton K, Murata G, Deming P, Kalishman S, Dion D, et al. Outcomes of treatment for hepatitis C virus infection by primary care providers. N Engl J Med 2011; 364: 2199-2207.
  • 42
    Grebely J, Petoumenos K, Matthews GV, Haber P, Marks P, Lloyd AR, et al. Factors associated with uptake of treatment for recent hepatitis C virus infection in a predominantly injecting drug user cohort: The ATAHC Study. Drug Alcohol Depend 2009.
  • 43
    Butt AA, Justice AC, Skanderson M, Rigsby MO, Good CB, Kwoh CK. Rate and predictors of treatment prescription for hepatitis C. Gut 2007; 56: 385-389.
  • 44
    Rousseau CM, Ioannou GN, Todd-Stenberg JA, Sloan KL, Larson MF, Forsberg CW, et al. Racial differences in the evaluation and treatment of hepatitis C among veterans: a retrospective cohort study. Am J Public Health 2008; 98: 846-852.
  • 45
    Davila JA, El-Serag HB. Racial differences in survival of hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States: a population-based study. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2006; 4: 104-110.
  • 46
    Siegel AB, McBride RB, El-Serag HB, Hershman DL, Brown RS Jr, Renz JF, et al. Racial disparities in utilization of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States, 1998-2002. Am J Gastroenterol 2008; 103: 120-127.
    Direct Link:
  • 47
    Sonnenday CJ, Dimick JB, Schulick RD, Choti MA. Racial and geographic disparities in the utilization of surgical therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. J Gastrointest Surg 2007; 11: 1636-1646.
  • 48
    Sawaya GF, Guirguis-Blake J, LeFevre M, Harris R, Petitti D. Update on the methods of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force: estimating certainty and magnitude of net benefit. Ann Intern Med 2007; 147: 871-875.
  • 49
    Armstrong GL, Wasley A, Simard EP, McQuillan GM, Kuhnert WL, Alter MJ. The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, 1999 through 2002. Ann Intern Med 2006; 144: 705-714.
  • 50
    Perz JF, Grytdal S, Beck S, Fireteanu AM, Poissant T, Rizzo E, et al. Case-control study of hepatitis B and hepatitis C in older adults: Do healthcare exposures contribute to burden of new infections? HEPATOLOGY 2012 [Epub ahead of print].
    Direct Link:
  • 51
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for HIV: Draft Recommendation Statement. AHRQ Publication No. 12-05173-EF-3. 19 November 2012. Accessed at: http://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/draftrec.htm on 27 November 2012.
  • 52
    McGarry LJ, Pawar VS, Panchmatia HR, Rubin JL, Davis GL, Younossi ZM, et al. Economic model of a birth cohort screening program for hepatitis C virus. HEPATOLOGY 2012; 55: 1344-1355.
    Direct Link:
  • 53
    Coffin PO, Scott JD, Golden MR, Sullivan SD. Cost-effectiveness and population outcomes of general population screening for hepatitis C. Clin Infect Dis 2012; 54: 1259-1271.
  • 54
    U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for illicit drug use: recommendation statement. AHRQ Publication Number 08-05108-EF-3. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 2008.
  • 55
    Woloshin S, Schwartz LM, Black WC, Kramer BS. Cancer screening campaigns—getting past uninformative persuasion. N Engl J Med 2012; 367: 1677-1679.
  • 56
    Moyer VA. Screening for prostate cancer: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med 2012; 157: 120-134.
  • 57
    Petitti DB, Calonge N, LeFevre ML, Melnyk BM, Wilt TJ, Schwartz JS. Breast cancer screening: from science to recommendation. Radiology 2010; 256: 8-14.
  • 58
    Edlin BR, Seal KH, Lorvick J, Kral AH, Ciccarone DH, Moore LD, et al. Is it justifiable to withhold treatment for hepatitis C from illicit-drug users? N Engl J Med 2001; 345: 211-214.
  • 59
    Edlin BR, Carden MR. Injection drug users: the overlooked core of the hepatitis C epidemic. Clin Infect Dis 2006; 42: 673-676.
  • 60
    Rein DB, Wittenborn JS, Weinbaum CM, Sabin M, Smith BD, Lesesne SB. Forecasting the morbidity and mortality associated with prevalent cases of pre-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis C in the United States. Dig Liver Dis 2011; 43: 66-72.
  • 61
    Smith BD, Morgan RL, Beckett GA, Falck_Ytter Y, Holtzman D, Teo CG, et al. Recommendations for the identification of chronic hepatitis C virus infection among persons born during 1945-1965. MMWR Recomm Rep 2012; 61: 1-32.
View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (381K)