Abstract

URREGO, Marcela; ANGULO, Aurelio  and  HOLGUIN, Jaime. Hepatitis B infections in oncology patients: A survey of clinical practice. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2009, vol.24, n.3, pp.260-265. ISSN 0120-9957.

The risk of chronic hepatitis B reactivation during chemotherapy treatment is being increasingly recognized. In this study our aims were to evaluate the degree of awareness of the potential risk of reactivation of hepatitis B and to examine the screening, and prevention practices among the hematologists / oncologists in Colombia. Methods. A written questionnaire survey was applied to the physicians convened in Cali for the national congress of cancer in October 2008. Results. A number of 134 specialists in the treatment of the oncology patients were surveyed. Just over half (58%) of them have more than 10 years of clinical practice. Regarding screening, 23% of the oncologists never screened patients for hepatitis B infection prior to initiating chemotherapy, 50% "sometimes" and only 27% of them screened all the patients before chemotherapy. Only 23% of the oncologists selected the specifics serological tests for hepatitis B in persons needing chemotherapy. Regarding selection of a prophylactic agent, most of these specialists prescribed interferon pegilated. Conclusions. More awareness of hepatitis B reactivation during chemotherapy in the oncology community is recommended.

Keywords : Hepatitis B; reactivation; chemotherapy; oncologists.

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