Widespread vs. Selective Screening for Hepatitis B Infection Prior to Chemotherapy

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I. To derive a selective screening strategy that optimizes the identification of positive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection cases in comparison to widespread screening of new cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine the prevalence of risk factors among patients with unknown HBV infection status as well as among patients known to have HBV infection, determine the incidence of reactivation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, rates of disruptions in cancer therapy, co-infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and mortality rates. OUTLINE: Patients with unknown HBV infection status undergo 3 HBV screening tests (hepatitis B surface antigen \[HBsAg\], hepatitis B core antibody \[anti-HBc\], and hepatitis B surface antibody \[anti-HBs\]) before chemotherapy. Patients with known HBV infection status undergo either HBsAg or anti-HBc screening tests if there is no evidence of HBV testing in the last 3 months. All patients complete HBV risk assessment survey. After completion of study, patients with HBV infection are followed up every 3 months for at least 12 months after completion of chemotherapy or end of study period.