AIM:To evaluate the prevalence of breast tumors in adult females with chronic hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection.METHODS:Prospective,single-center study,based on female outpatients consulting in a liver unit,for 1 year.The study group included females with present and/or past history of chronic infection by HCV.Patients with spontaneous recovery were excluded.Chronic hepatitis had been proved by liver biopsy in the majority of cases and/or biological markers of inflammation and fibrosis.The control group included female patients with other well documented chronic liver diseases:chronic hepatitis B,alcoholic liver disease,autoimmune hepatitis,hemochromatosis,non alcoholic liver disease,chronic cholangitis.Participating patients were prospectively questioned during consultation about past breast history and follow-up by mammography.RESULTS:Breast carcinoma was recorded in 17/294 patients with HCV infection(5.8%,95% CI:3.1-8.4) vs 5/107 control patients(4.7%,95% CI:0.67-8.67).Benign tumors of the breast(mastosis,nodules,cysts) were recorded in 75/294 patients with HCV infection(25.5%,95% CI:20.5-30.5) vs 21/107(19.6%,95% CI:12.1-27.1) in the control group.No lesion was noted in 202 patients with HCV(68.7%,95% CI:63.4-74) vs 81 control patients(75.7%,95% CI:67.6-83.8).Despite a trend to an increased prevalence in the group with HCV infection,the difference was not significant compared to the control group(P=NS).In patients over 40 years,the results were,respectively,as follows:breast cancer associated with HCV:17/266 patients(6.3%,95% CI:3.4-9.3) vs 5/95 patients(5.2%,95% CI:0.7-9.7) in the control group;benign breast tumors:72/266 patients with HCV infection(27%,95% CI:21.7-32.4) vs 18/95 patients(18.9%,95% CI:11-26.8) in the control group;no breast lesion 177/266(66.5%,95% CI:60.9-72.2) in patients with HCV infection vs 72/95(75.7%,95% CI:67.1-84.4) in the control group.The differences were not significant(P=NS).CONCLUSION:These results suggest that chronic HCV infection is not a strong promoter of breast carcinoma in adult females of any age. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of breast tumors in adult females with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. METHODS: Prospective, single-center study, based on female outpatients consulting in a liver unit, for 1 year. The study group included females with present and / or past history of chronic infection by HCV. Patients with spontaneous recovery were excluded. Chronic hepatitis had been proven by liver biopsy in the majority of cases and / or biological markers of inflammation and fibrosis. The control group included female patients with other well documented chronic liver diseases: chronic hepatitis B, alcoholic liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, hemochromatosis, non alcoholic liver disease, chronic cholangitis. Participating patients were prospectively questioned during consultation about past breast history and follow-up by mammography .RESULTS: Breast carcinoma was recorded in 17/294 patients with HCV infection (5.8%, 95% CI: 3.1-8.4) vs 5/107 control patients (4.7%, 95% CI: 0.67-8.67) of the breast (mastosis, nodules, cysts) were recorded in 75/294 patients with HCV infection (25.5%, 95% CI: 20.5-30.5) vs 21/107 (19.6%, 95% CI: 12.1-27.1) in the control group. No lesion was noted in 202 patients with HCV (68.7%, 95% CI: 63.4-74) vs 81 control patients (75.7%, 95% CI: 67.6-83.8) .Despite a trend to an increased prevalence in the group with HCV infection, the difference was not significant compared to the control group (P = NS). Patients over 40 years, the results were, respectively, as follows: breast cancer associated with HCV: 17/266 patients (6.3% 95% CI: 3.4-9.3) vs 5/95 patients (5.2%, 95% CI: 0.7-9.7) in the control group; benign breast tumors: 72/266 patients with HCV infection -32.4) vs 18/95 patients (18.9%, 95% CI: 11-26.8) in the control group; no breast lesion 177/266 (66.5%, 95% CI: 60.9-72.2) in patients with HCV infection vs 72 /95(75.7%, 95% CI: 67.1-84.4) in the control group. These differences were not significant (P = NS) .CONCLUSION: These results suggest that chronic HCV infection is not a strong promoter of breast carcinoma in adult females of any age.