ABSTRACT

Hepatitis viruses can cause serious illness in patient with cancer and those who have undergone stem cell transplantation.  Patients with hematological malignancies chronically infected with either Hepatitis B virus or Hepatitis C virus are at risk for viral reactivation following chemotherapy.  Hepatitis B virus reactivation is a common and serious complication but preventable. Hepatitis C virus has a lower reactivation rate following chemotherapy than Hepatitis B virus, but its presentation can be severe and non-preventable. In this chapter, we review the management of reactivation of viral hepatitis during antineoplastic therapy affecting patients with cancer or stem cell transplantation.