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. 2022 Sep 23;3(3):82-87.
doi: 10.14744/hf.2022.2022.0016. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C who had sustained viral response following direct-acting antiviral therapy

Berat Ebik  1 , Mustafa Aygan  2 , Elif Tugba Tuncel  3 , Huseyin Kacmaz  4 , Nazim Ekin  1 , Medeni Arpa  5 , Kendal Yalcin  6
Affiliations

Development of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis C who had sustained viral response following direct-acting antiviral therapy

Berat Ebik et al. Hepatol Forum. .

Abstract

Background and aim: Several studies have suggested that treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) may be associated with an increased risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the incidence and risk factors of HCC in HCV patients who achieved a sustained virologic response (SVR) following DAA therapies.

Materials and methods: The medical data of patients who were diagnosed with HCV and received DAA therapy in two tertiary centers in Turkey were retrospectively collected.

Results: Among them, 75 patients (52.4%) were noncirrhotic and 68 patients (47.6%) were cirrhotic. The overall SVR rate was 97.2% (139/143). It was 100% in noncirrhotic and 94.1% in cirrhotic patients. HCC was developed in 5 (7.4%) patients, all of whom had baseline cirrhosis. The annual rate of HCC occurrence was 2.94%, and the 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 7.3%. The mean Child-Pugh score (CPS) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score significantly decreased after DAA treatment (CPS 7.0 vs 5.9, p=0.001; MELD 10.8 vs 9.5, p=0.003).

Conclusion: There was no significant increase in the rate of HCC in cirrhotic HCV patients treated with DAAs. This treatment led to a remarkably high SVR rate and lowered CPS and MELD scores in cirrhotic HCV patients.

Keywords: Chronic Hepatitis C infection; direct-acting antiviral agents; hepatocellular carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
In the follow-up periods of patients with liver cirrhosis, the number of decompensation and HCC development, the number of deaths and the number of liver transplants. HCC: Hepatocellular cancer
Figure 2
Figure 2
Survival rates of patients with liver cirrhosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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