What you need to know about hep B | part 2

Home News What you need to know about hep B | part 2

January 19, 2021

This article – part 2 of 8 – was written by Dr. Alice Lee , Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, Concord Repatriation General Hospital.

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Diagnosing And Treating Hepatitis B

Once a diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B is confirmed through blood tests, an assessment is made. The assessment will be based on health history (including family history of liver cancer), a physical examination, further blood tests, ultrasound or CT and special imaging called Fibroscan. These are needed to determine whether treatment for hepatitis B is required, or if someone only needs to be monitored for now.

A careful assessment is needed to ensure that someone will benefit from hepatitis B treatment. There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, a person can have a chronic infection without it progressing to complications such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. Secondly, hepatitis B treatment (unlike hep C treatment) is not curative and is, in most cases, long term or lifelong once commenced.

What Is Cirrhosis And Can It Be Treated?

When the liver cells are damaged they become inflamed or swollen – this is called liver fibrosis. Over time this can build up and lead to cirrhosis of the liver – which is actual scar tissue in the liver. The scar tissue reduces blood flow through the liver. The liver then can’t do its work as well as it should.

All patients with cirrhosis should have treatment. Diagnosis of cirrhosis can be simple, but in some cases may require a combination of blood test, scans and a fibroscan that measure liver scarring. A fibroscan is a special type of non-invasive scan, like an ultrasound.

In people without cirrhosis, high liver function (ALT) readings associated with high virus count are indications for hepatitis B treatment. Even where an ALT reads normal, indicating no need for treatment, it can still go up without the person being aware. Hence, the need for regular check-ups – usually every six to twelve months.

Other considerations for treatment are older age, and a family history of liver cancer.

How To Treat Hepatitis?

Treatment for hepatitis B, if required, is very simple. It is one pill per day. There are one of two medicines that are used – entecavir or tenofovir. The medication is best taken at the same time each day (entecavir away from food; tenofovir is not affected by eating). Neither drug is associated with significant side effects but, as with all medicines, side effects are possible.

Tenofovir has been associated with renal issues and a doctor will need to regularly monitor kidney function. Both medicines need to be reduced to a lower dose if the person has reduced kidney function and this needs to be discussed with the doctor.

Once treatment is underway, it is really important that the medicines are taken regularly as resistance can occur, and there is also a risk of worsening liver disease, such as a flare, after stopping the medicine. These tablets are generally prescribed by specialists, but some GPs can also prescribe these medicines.

Regular monitoring whilst on treatment, usually six-monthly, is also critical with blood tests and ultrasound. The medicine is taken to control the amount of hepatitis B virus in the blood, which then leads to decrease in liver damage.

These hep B treatments have been available for decades and have been shown to be lifesaving, preventing and, potentially, reversing liver damage.

Can Hepatitis B Be Cured?

There are currently no cures for hepatitis B.

Liver cancer risks are lowered with treatment, but there is still a need for ongoing screening as the risks are not completely averted. The goals of treatment are initially to improve the liver tests (to get an ALT normalisation) and to stop the virus from replicating . In the long term, some patients have what is referred to as a “functional cure”, where the hep B surface antigen becomes negative.

For the small percentage of people who achieve this, usually after many years of treatment, their treatment can sometimes be stopped. Even after stopping treatment, they will still require ongoing monitoring. Regardless, where cirrhosis is present, lifelong treatment is still recommended.

For those who do not have cirrhosis, it remains critical that they discuss any interruption or cessation of medicines with their doctors.

What Is The New Medicine For Hepatitis B?

Treatments that have been available in the past include medicines such as lamivudine and interferon. There are limited roles for these medicines for special circumstances. New drugs are constantly under development in order to improve outcomes.

A newer version of tenofovir is available (tenofovir alafenamide) which is associated with fewer kidney issues. It is currently not widely available and not government funded.

Other drugs are being studied as ongoing efforts are being made to find a cure for hepatitis B.