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Review
. 2020 Nov 21;26(43):6770-6781.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i43.6770.

Hepatocellular carcinoma after direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C virus therapy: A debate near the end

Cristina Maria Muzica  1 , Carol Stanciu  1 , Laura Huiban  1 , Ana-Maria Singeap  1 , Catalin Sfarti  1 , Sebastian Zenovia  1 , Camelia Cojocariu  1 , Anca Trifan  2
Affiliations
Review

Hepatocellular carcinoma after direct-acting antiviral hepatitis C virus therapy: A debate near the end

Cristina Maria Muzica et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, achieving high rates (≥ 95%) of sustained virological response, with a good safety profile and high compliance rates. Consequently, it had been expected that viral clearance will reduce morbidity and mortality rates, as well as the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, since 2016, concerns have been raised over an unexpected high rate of HCC occurrence and recurrence after DAA therapy, which led to an avalanche of studies with contradictory results. We aimed to review the most recent and relevant articles regarding the risk of HCC after DAA treatment and identify the associated risk factors.

Keywords: Direct acting antivirals therapy; Hepatitis C virus infection; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Review; Risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma; Sustained virological response.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors declare no conflict of interests for this article.

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