© 2005-2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). All rights reserved worldwide.
“The issue of routine screening for hepatitis in patients about to under chemotherapy has been unresolved for some time. This new provisional clinical opinion from ASCO summarizes the existing evidence and provides practicing oncologists with the practical guidance needed to engage their patients in shared decision-making,” said Charles Penley, MD, Immediate Past Chair, ASCO Clinical Practice Committee.
Talk with your doctor about how to proceed with HBV testing given your current health, current or past HBV infection or exposure, and cancer treatment plan. Preventing reactivation with HBV, which could result in liver failure, is a potential benefit of the HBV test. Some potential harms of this test are that it may result in a delay of beginning chemotherapy, the possibility that antiviral medication could interfere with chemotherapy, and any costs to the patient and doctors from performing the test and evaluating the results.
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Talking With the Doctors and Nurses
The information in this guide is not intended as medical or legal advice, or as a substitute for consultation with a physician or other licensed health care provider. Patients with health care-related questions should call or see their physician or other health care provider promptly and should not disregard professional medical advice, or delay seeking it, because of information encountered in this guide. The mention of any product, service, or treatment in this guide should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. ASCO is not responsible for any injury or damage to persons or property arising out of or related to any use of this patient guide, or to any errors or omissions.
ASCO's provisional clinical opinions (PCOs) reflect expert consensus based on clinical evidence and literature available at the time they are written, and are intended to assist physicians in clinical decision-making and identify questions and settings for further research. Due to the rapid flow of scientific information in oncology, new evidence may have emerged since the time a PCO was submitted for publication. PCOs are not continually updated and may not reflect the most recent evidence. PCOs cannot account for individual variation among patients, and cannot be considered inclusive of all proper methods of care or exclusive of other treatments. It is the responsibility of the treating physician or other health care provider, relying on independent experience and knowledge of the patient, to determine the best course of treatment for the patient. Accordingly, adherence to any PCO is voluntary, with the ultimate determination regarding its application to be made by the physician in light of each patient's individual circumstances. ASCO PCOs describe the use of procedures and therapies in clinical practice and cannot be assumed to apply to the use of these interventions in the context of clinical trials. ASCO assumes no responsibility for any injury or damage to persons or property arising out of or related to any use of ASCO's PCOs, or for any errors or omissions.