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Hepatitis C–related cirrhosis is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Although increased lymphoma risk has been described in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients, the evidence has been derived mainly from small studies. Chronic stimulation of the immune system by HCV might predispose patients to a lymphoproliferative disorder. The specific steps leading to the development of a lymphoproliferative disorder are uncertain. HCV patients are more likely than non-HCV patients to have t(14;18) translocation with overexpression of the antiapoptotic bcl-2 proto-oncogene and bcl-2 rearrangements, suggesting that bcl-2 might be a contributing factor to lymphoma development. Now, researchers have used pooled case-control study data from a lar…