Patients with HCV-related cirrhosis treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) do not have reduced rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to research published in the Journal of Hepatology.
Fabio Conti, MD, PhD student, Research Center for the Study of Hepatitis, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy, and colleagues analyzed 344 cirrhotic patients without HCC who had been treated with DAA; of these patients, 59 had previous HCC. Patients were followed for 24 weeks.
During the 24-week follow-up, 26 patients had HCC; 17 of 59 patients had previous HCC, and 9 of 285 patients did not. Among the 59 patients with previous HCC, younger age and severe liver fibrosis were significantly associated with HCC recurrence.
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“Child-Pugh Class B, more severe liver fibrosis, lower platelet count, and previous HCC were significantly associated with HCC development,” said Dr Conti. “In patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, DAA-induced resolution of HCV infection does not seem to reduce the occurrence of HCC, and patients previously treated for HCC still have a high risk of tumor recurrence in the short term.”
Reference
- Conti F, Buonfiglioli F, Scuteri A, et al. Early occurrence and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV-related cirrhosis treated with direct acting antivirals. J Hepatol. 2016; pii:S0168-8278(16)30303-8; doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.06.015. Epub ahead of print.
