Review: prevention of chemotherapy/ immuno-suppressive therapy (CH/ISTH) related flare up of hepatitis B (HepB) with lamivudine (LAM)

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can exist as an inactive chronic infection in a high percentage of infected patients. Accumulating experience suggests that accelerated viral replication during Ch/IsTh and/or discontinuation of such therapies may lead to flare up of HepB. Objectives: With systematic review of available literature and our own seven patients we evaluated the rationale of LAM prophylaxis in HBV carrier patients during Ch/IsTh. Results: No systematic prospective studies, but numerous cases with severe reactivation of HBV in such situations are reported in the literature. Reported cases include bo…