About 1/3 of the world's population has been exposed to hepatitis B virus (HBV) during their lifetime, and over 250 million individuals worldwide suffer from chronic HBV (CHB) infection.1 These patients are at increased risk of developing liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).2 Currently, there are two main treatment options for CHB patients: nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) and pegylated IFNα (PEG‐IFN). This evidence concerns the gene IFNA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma.