Incidence and predictors of de novo hepatocellular carcinoma in HCV cirrhotic patients treated with direct-acting antivirals: a single-center prospective 3 year study

Background: Conflicting data have been published about the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) following direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). We investigated the incidence of HCC occurrence/recurrence after DAAs therapy. Patients and Methods: Retrospectively, we analyzed data of 392 patients with F3–4 fibrosis and cirrhosis treated by DAAs during the period from August 2015 to May 2018. In HCC-experienced patients, HCC treatment modality, and the duration between HCC management and DAAs initiation were recorded. In all patients, pretreatment clinicolaboratory evaluation, and imaging before, during and after DAAs were done. Results: De novo HCC occurred in 7.6% of naïve patients, while recurrence appeared in 28% of patients with previous HCC. Pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein was an independent predictor of HCC occurrence, while the time between HCC ablation and the beginning of DAAs was the only predictor of HCC recurrence (p < 0.001). Half of the patients who started DAAs before 6 months had HCC recurrence, while patients who started DAAs at ≥6 months had no recurrence (p< 0.0001). Conclusions: Although HCC occurrence after DAAs was not high, recurrence was apparently high. Pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein is a predictor for de novo HCC. The time between HCC ablation and DAAs was the strongest predictor of recurrence.

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Early occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with and without cirrhosis after HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2018.36.4_suppl.356 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (4_suppl) ◽

pp. 356-356

Author(s):

Fabian Finkelmeier ◽

Georg Dultz ◽

Bernd Kronenberger ◽

Kai Henrik Peiffer ◽

Franziska Krauss ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Independent Risk Factor ◽

De Novo ◽

Direct Acting Antivirals ◽

Historical Cohort ◽

Comparison Results ◽

Cirrhotic Patients ◽

Direct Acting

356 Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of HCC development after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) and to compare hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence to patients treated with interferon (IFN)-based therapies. Methods: We analyzed a large cohort with chronic HCV patients for the onset of new hepatocellular carcinoma after DAA treatment. A historic interferon treated cohort was investigated for comparison. Results: 819 patients were included in the DAA group, 269 (32.8%) had established cirrhosis. Median follow up was 263 days (0-1001). 25 patients (3.1%) were diagnosed with de novo HCC within the observation time. All of these patients had established cirrhosis. Patients with new HCC were mostly male, older, treatment experienced, had a lower SVR12 rate and higher levels of liver inflammation markers. Investigation of the subcohort of 269 cirrhotic patients yielded a HCC rate of 9.3% during the follow-up of approximately one year. Non-SVR12 was an independent risk factor for de novo HCC (OR 4.983, 1.39-17.88, 0.014). Most HCCs were diagnosed in early stage BCLC A. In the historical cohort of 351 IFN treated patients the rate of de novo HCC was 5.4% overall and 11.8% in patients with already established cirrhosis (n = 68). In the multivariate analysis failed SVR (OR 5.386, 1.155-25.108, p = 0.032) remained an independent risk factor for de novo HCC. In a combined analysis of all patients (DAA and IFN treated) in a multivariate approach male gender, failed SVR and cirrhosis were independent factors for HCC development. Conclusions: DAA treatment in cirrhotic patients does not seem to reduce the risk of HCC development in the short term. HCC rates were not different between DAA-treated patients and those who received interferon. Achievement of SVR seems to be the most important aim to prevent HCC development.

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