Leal C, Strogoff-de-Matos J, Theodoro C, Teixeira R, Perez R, Guaraná T, de Tarso Pinto P, Guimarães T, Artimos S. Incidence and Risk Factors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Treated with Direct-Acting Antivirals.
Viruses 2023;
15:221. [PMID:
36680260 PMCID:
PMC9863874 DOI:
10.3390/v15010221]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Conflicting data regarding the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after cure of HCV infection with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) remains. We investigated the incidence and risk factors to HCC after treatment with DAAs followed up for five years.
METHODS
A total of 1075 HCV patients ≥ 18 years were treated with DAAs from 2015 to 2019 and followed until 2022. Ultrasonography was performed before DAAs and each 6 months thereafter.
RESULTS
Of the total, 51/1075 (4.7%) developed HCC in the median of 40 (IQR 25-58) months: 26/51 (51%) male, median age 60 (IQR 54-66) years, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) 12.2 (IQR 6.1-18.8) ng/mL, 47/51 (92.1%) cirrhotic 78.7%, 8/51 (15.7%) without sustained virological response (SVR). Seventeen percent had non-characterized nodules before DAAs. Cumulative HCC incidence was 5.9% in 5 years. Overall incidence was 1.46/100 patient-years (PY) (95% CI = 1.09-1.91), being 2.31/100 PY (95% CI = 1.70-3.06), 0.45/100 PY (95% CI = 0.09-1.32) and 0.20/100 PY (95% CI 0.01-1.01) in METAVIR F4, F3 and F2, respectively, and the main risks to HCC were non-characterized nodule, cirrhosis, high AFP values and non-SVR.
CONCLUSION
HCV cure reduced risk for HCC, but it still occurred particularly in cirrhotic patients. Some risk factors can be identified to predict early HCC diagnosis.
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