A prospective cohort study of hepatitis B surface antigen carriers in a working population

A 10-year prospective cohort study was made of 495 male hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) carriers aged over 40 at entry. The observed/expected mortality rate ratio of primary liver cancer (PLC) was 10.40, based on the general population in Japan. The annual incidence rate of PLC (including 2 survivals) was 365/100,000 person-years. All histologically confirmed cases of PLC were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The chronic HBsAg carrier state is suggested to be a risk factor of HCC.