Most baby boomers are not being tested for the hepatitis C virus, which places them at a higher risk for liver diseases such as liver cancer, according to the American Cancer Society.
Approximately 3.5 million people in the United States are infected with the hepatitis C virus, with 80 percent of those being baby boomers, people born between 1945 and 1965, according to American Cancer Society researchers.
Researchers report that infections can be treated, but most infected people are unaware they have the virus.
Few baby boomers are getting tested for hepatitis C, despite the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommending in 2013 that all boomers be given a one-time test for the virus.
Researchers discovered that from 2013 to 2015, the rate of testing among this group increased from only 12.3 percent to 13.8 percent, underscoring a possible strategy of making hepatitis C testing state-mandated, according to the American Cancer Society.
The findings come from nearly 24,000 responses to the National Health Interview Survey. The American Cancer Society's report was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
