Predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence associated with the use of direct‐acting antiviral agent therapy for hepatitis C virus after curative treatment: A prospective multicenter cohort study

Abstract Background Previous studies have suggested an association between the use of direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the resulting decrease in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, it is unclear whether DAAs prevent the re...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Masahito Nakano, Hironori Koga, Tatsuya Ide, Ryoko Kuromatsu, Satoru Hashimoto, Hiroshi Yatsuhashi, Masataka Seike, Nobito Higuchi, Makoto Nakamuta, Satoshi Shakado, Shotaro Sakisaka, Satoshi Miuma, Kazuhiko Nakao, Yoko Yoshimaru, Yutaka Sasaki, Satoshi Oeda, Yuichiro Eguchi, Yuichi Honma, Masaru Harada, Kenji Nagata, Seiichi Mawatari, Akio Ido, Tatsuji Maeshiro, Shuichi Matsumoto, Yuko Takami, Tetsuo Sohda, Takuji Torimura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-05-01
Series:Cancer Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.2061
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Previous studies have suggested an association between the use of direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the resulting decrease in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); however, it is unclear whether DAAs prevent the recurrence of HCC after curative treatment for HCC. This study aimed to prospectively investigate HCC recurrence and its predictors after curative treatment for HCC. Methods A total of 3012 patients with chronic HCV infection, with or without cirrhosis, who were treated with DAAs were enrolled between January 1, 2015 and January 31, 2017 as per the institutional review board approved study protocol at 15 institutions, including 10 university hospitals and five high‐volume centers in the Kyusyu area of Japan. Of the 3012 patients, 459 patients who had HCC but were cured with surgery or ablation therapy (curative treatment) before the use of DAAs were included in the analysis. Results During a mean follow‐up period of 29.4 months, 217 (47.2%) patients developed HCC recurrence. The median time to recurrence was 34.0 months, and the 1‐, 2‐, and 3‐year cumulative HCC recurrence rates were 27.1%, 43.4%, and 50.8%, respectively. The risk factors for HCC recurrence were the α‐fetoprotein (AFP) level before DAA therapy (P = 0.0047) and the number of curative treatments for HCC before DAA therapy (P < 0.0001). Conclusions A high AFP level and multiple occurrences of HCC before DAA therapy are associated with a high risk for HCC recurrence after curative treatment. Follow‐up after DAA therapy should include special attention to the abovementioned risk factors.
ISSN:2045-7634