Original Research Article DOI: 10.18231/2394-5478.2018.0035 Indian Journal of Microbiology Research, April-June, 2018;5(2):168-170 168 Prevalence of HCV in patients suffering from various malignant disorder in Tertiary Cancer Care Center in Malwa region of Punjab Deepak Arora 1 , M K Mahajan 2 , Manjit Kaur 3 , Parvinder Singh 4 1,2 Professor, 1 Dept. of Microbiology, 2 Dept. of Radiation Oncology, 3 Associate Professor, Dept. of Pathology, 4 Assistant Professor, Dept. of Surgical Oncology, 1,3,4 Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, 2 Advanced Cancer Institute, Bathinda, Punjab, India *Corresponding Author: Email: drdeepakarora78@gmail.com Abstract Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection results in persistent liver disease, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Significant association has been seen between HCV and cancer .Prevalence of HCV infection in cancer patients range from 1.5% to 32%. Aim of our study: To evaluate the Sero prevalence of hepatitis C among patients with malignancy reported at ACI, Bathinda. Materials and Methods: The study was done in Advanced cancer hospital in Bathinda for a period of 1 year & 6 months from 1.5.16 to 31.10.17. All the specimens were screened using immune chromatographic assays. The data was statistically analysed. Results: Positivity of HCV in cancer patients in our Cancer hospital was 6.6% In our cancer patients HCV was found to be more prevalent in females (6.6%) as compared to males (6.4%). 100% of cases which were reported from rural background. In males the risks for the cancers of the upper digestive tract, mandible, neck, oesophagus, and lung were higher. Tobacco exposure and alcohol use explain increase in risk .Of the 21 cases of females 12 cases of carcinoma breast, 2 Endometrial carcinoma, 1 liver carcinoma ,2 ovarian carcinoma, 1esophagal carcinoma & 2 kidney carcinoma were reported. Maximum number of cases were in age group of 41-70 with 28 cases in age group of 50-60 years. One patient was reported HCV positive at 94yrs. Conclusion: Prevalence of HCV is high in cancer. Maximum number of patients are from rural background. These patients are apprehensive to report to hospital and get examined. So, the message is very clear that either medical services in our rural areas need to be strengthened and practitioners sitting in rural population need to be educated or to look to traditional Indian medicines to which these rural population have faith like preventive aspects with the strengthening of AYUSH systems. As maximum number of cases are in females and with carcinoma of breast suggest the urgent need to educate females regarding healthy sexual practices &lifestyle modifications. Keywords: Flaviviridae, Immune suppression, Malignancy. Introduction Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a RNA virus posing a global health challenge resulting in persistent liver disease, cirrhosis and Hepatocellular carcinoma. The global prevalence of HCV is around 2%. worldwide,170 million people are affected with HCV and 3 to 4 million persons are getting newly infected each year (Shepard et al 2005). 1 Overall, prevalence of hepatitis C in India is 1%, is high in Punjab ranging between 3.5% to 7%. 2 Significant association has been seen between HCV and cancer. Risk of cancer increases in patients with Hepatitis C virus infection and also in turn cancer add extra ordinary challenges to the management &treatment of HCV. Although risk of cancer & HCV infection is known but the molecular mechanisms involved in cancer signalling are unknown. HCV alters the cellular homeostasis by causing increase in generation of free radicals causing chronic inflammation finally leading to cancer. Prevalence of HCV infection in cancer patients range from 1.5% to 32% 3-6 and for detection of HCV in laboratory is only based on estimation of antibodies to recombinant HCV proteins. Moreover HCV follows heterogenous genome and replication pathways. HCV infection is common in cancer patients and data about infection outcome is limited and not very clear. So, the present study was done to know the Sero prevalence of hepatitis C among patients and to evaluate the epidemiology of these patients with malignancy reported at ACI, a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital in Malwa region of Punjab, Bathinda. Aim 1. To study the Epidemiology and Prevalence of hepatitis C among patients with malignancy reported at ACI, a Tertiary Care Cancer Hospital in Malwa region of Punjab, Bathinda. 2. Comparison of prevalence of HCV in patients from national data and oncology patients of our hospital. Materials and Methods The present study was carried out Advanced Cancer Institute Bathinda (Punjab), India. Data of the patients whose investigation was send for HCV and were HCV positive were collected for a period of 1 year 6months from 1.5.16 to 31.10.17. Relevant details regarding their demographic and geographical distribution was collected. Patients with positive anti- HCV by using fourth generation kits enzyme immune assay were included, irrespective of age. Advanced