On the other hand, treatment of chronic infection may be necessary to reduce the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronically infected individuals with persistently elevated serum alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver damage, and HBV DNA levels are candidates for therapy. Treatment lasts from six months to a year, depending on medication and genotype. Treatment duration when medication is taken by mouth, however, is more variable and usually longer than one year.Although none of the available medications can clear the infection, they can stop the virus from replicating, thus minimizing liver damage. As of 2018, there are eight medications licensed for the treatment of hepatitis B infection in the United States. These include antiviral medications lamivudine, adefovir, tenofovir disoproxil, tenofovir alafenamide, telbivudine, and entecavir, and the two immune system modulators interferon alpha-2a and PEGylated interferon alpha-2a. In 2015 the World Health Organization recommended tenofovir or entecavir as first-line agents. Those with current cirrhosis are in most need of treatment.The use of interferon, which requires injections daily or thrice weekly, has been supplanted by long-acting PEGylated interferon, which is injected only once weekly. However, some individuals are much more likely to respond than others, and this might be because of the genotype of the infecting virus or the persons heredity. The treatment reduces viral replication in the liver, thereby reducing the viral load (the amount of virus particles as measured in the blood). Response to treatment differs between the genotypes.
Hand-foot syndrome (Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia or PPE) -skin rash, swelling, redness, pain and/or peeling of the skin on the palms of hands and soles of feet
Stomach ulcers (This is seen more with the intra-arterial infusion). Contact your health provider immediately
Fever of 100.4 °F (38 °C) or higher, chills (possible signs of infection). Contact your health provider
Diarrhea (2 episodes in a 24-hour period)
Nausea (interferes with ability to eat and unrelieved with prescribed medication)
Vomiting (vomiting more than 4–5 times in a 24-hour period)
Mouth sores (painful redness, swelling or ulcers)
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Black or tarry stools, or blood in your stools
Blood in the urine
Yellowing of the skin or eyes
Tingling or burning, redness, swelling of the palms of the hands or soles of feet

Other
Fertility for both men and women may be affected by floxuridine. Use in research
Apart from its use in chemotherapy, floxuridine is also used in aging research employing a C. elegans model, namely to stop growth and to prevent reproduction. The latter is brought about by treatment of larvae close to maturity with low doses of floxuridine that, even though allowing normal maturation, causes reproducing individuals to lay eggs that are unable to hatch. This limits the population to a single generation allowing quantification of aging processes and measurement of longevity. It has, however, been indicated that floxuridin exposure by itself increases life expectancy potentially leading to flawed data in respective studies. History
Floxuridine first gained FDA approval in December 1970 under the brand name FUDR.