Chronic hepatitis C substantially raises pancreatic cancer risk

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

Chronic hepatitis C infection increases the risk of pancreatic cancer by 76%, particularly for certain viral genotypes, according to a large US study.

Researchers analysed data from more than 6.3 million individuals tested for hepatitis C between 2001 and 2020. They found that people with chronic hepatitis C were significantly more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those without the virus.