Research in the United States found that hepatitis B disease does not increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. The results of this study the opposite with previous studies that link the two diseases.

Findings by some researchers at Henry Ford Hospital presented the annual meeting of the American Association for the Study of Disease in Boston Lever.

By using data from the “Henry Ford Health System”, the researchers studied more than 74,000 patients are examined to see if they have hepatitis B between 1995-2008. From the overall analysis, only the age factor becomes an important pointer for pancreatic cancer.

“We are examining cases of pancreatic cancer among patients with hepatitis B during the 13-year period, and found that we could not confirm a higher risk for those previously exposed to hepatitis B, as shown in previous studies,” said Jeffrey Tang MD from Henry Ford Hospital who wrote the study.

“When other factors are considered – such as age, race, gender, HIV status, and presence of diabetes – only older age and presence of diabetes proved significant, whereas previous exposure to hepatitis B no longer be an important variable,” said Tang.

More than 35,000 people in the U.S. died of pancreatic cancer each year and 42,000 new cases diagnosed, according to information the National Cancer Institute. Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 800,000 to 1.4 million people suffer from chronic hepatitis B.

In 2007, as many as 43,000 people in the United States experienced a new transmission of hepatitis B, although many cases not reported because many people do not have many symptoms. Hepatitis B is inflammation of the liver disease caused by a viral infection.