Review
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World J Hepatol. May 27, 2014; 6(5): 284-292
Published online May 27, 2014. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v6.i5.284
Chronic hepatitis B: Advances in treatment
Teresa Antonia Santantonio, Massimo Fasano
Teresa Antonia Santantonio, Massimo Fasano, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy
Author contributions: Santantonio TA and Fasano M both contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Dr. Teresa Antonia Santantonio, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Ospedali Riuniti, Viale Luigi Pinto 1, 71100 Foggia, Italy. teresa.santantonio@unifg.it
Telephone: +39-0881-732216 Fax: +39-0881-732215
Received: November 12, 2013
Revised: January 7, 2014
Accepted: March 13, 2014
Published online: May 27, 2014
Processing time: 196 Days and 10.6 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Patients with chronic hepatitis B are a heterogeneous population and require different management strategies. In clinical practice, several baseline factors, related to the patient, drug, stage of liver disease, comorbidities, lifestyle factors, coinfections and profile of hepatitis B virus infection, should be taken into consideration in order to individually optimize therapy. Surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus quantification is a potential new biomarker for treatment individualization and response-guided therapy. In the last two decades, the availability of potent oral antivirals changed the natural history of chronic hepatitis B; however, the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been abolished and thus regular HCC surveillance in high risk patients is required.