Hi Kingsley,
Inactive carriers with low viral DNA levels are generally at lower risk of liver cancer compared to active carriers. However, the risk of liver cancer is not completely absent.
A long-term follow-up study has shown that a small percentage of inactive carriers can develop liver cancer over time; the inactive carriers of HBV (seronegative for HBeAg, serum levels of HBV DNA <10,000 copies/mL, and normal liver enzymes) had 5-fold greater risk for HCC than controls (HBsAg-negative) (Chen JD, et al. Carriers of inactive hepatitis B virus are still at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver-related death. 2010).
The risk of liver cancer in HBV infection is influenced by several known factors including viral load, age, family history of liver cancer and lifestyle. There are also potentially unknown factors, and research is ongoing to better understand them and develop strategies to reduce the risk. As I previously introduced my research, we suspect that integrations may play some role in promoting cancer.
Dong