Direct-acting Antiviral Therapy Improves the Outcome of Chronic Hepatitis C/intermediate-stage B Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patients

Abstract

Background/Aim: The benefit of direct-acting antiviral therapy (DAA) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infected patients who received curative treatment for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is well known, but is unclear for intermediate stage HCC. Patients and Methods: CHC patients with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B HCC receiving chemoembolization were identified. Univariate, multivariate analyses, and Kaplan-Meier curve were used to identify factors associated with survival outcomes. Results: Among 113 included patients, the median survival of DAA treated group (n=14) and non-treated group (n=99) were 40.1 months and 22.9 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) score, DAA, and serum albumin were key independent factors associated with overall survival. Moreover, the time-tocomplete remission (TTCR) was improved in the DAA treated group. Conclusion: ECOG, DAA, and serum albumin were prognostic factors for CHC/intermediate-stage HCC patients. DAA was also a beneficial factor for TTCR.

Advances in the Era of Direct-Acting Antivirals for Hepatitis C in Patients with Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma

“…Although the current evidence strongly supports that HCV eradication therapy can be helpful toward reducing the risk of tumor recurrence and improving the rate of patient survival amongst patients with HCCs in BCLC stage 0/A [3, 4, 24, 25], some studies have also suggested that HCV antiviral therapy may be beneficial to patients with unresectable HCCs. In a retrospective cohort study for HCC patients in BCLC stage B, the median patient survival time was significantly longer in DAA-treated patients, when compared to that in DAA-untreated patients (40.1 vs. 22.9 months) [26]. Moreover, in a retrospective cohort study for HCC patients in BCLC stage C, whose HCCs were treated with sorafenib, HCV eradication through DAA therapy also confirmed patient survival benefits [27].…”

Co-administration of treatment for rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis and chronic hepatitis C virus infection: a TBnet and ESGMYC study

“…[1] Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) revolutionised HCV clinical management since their introduction. [2,3] Tuberculosis is responsible of 1.4 estimated million deaths per year and multidrug-resistant/rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) is a major public health issue worldwide. [4] Chronic HCV-infection is estimated at 7% among active tuberculosis patients, [5] reaching up to 30% in some settings among MDR/RR-TB.…”