| Theme | Interferon-free Treatment of Hepatitis C | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Anti-HCV Treatment after Locally Curative Ablation of Hepatocellular Carcinoma | |
| Publish Date | 2016/10 | |
| Author | Ryosuke Tateishi | Training Program for Oncology Professionals, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo / Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| Author | Kazuhiko Koike | Department of Gastroenterology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo |
| [ Summary ] | Interferon‒based anti‒HCV treatment has been performed to prevent tumor recurrence after locally curative resection or ablation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic HCV infection. The suppressive effect of this treatment for tumor recurrence was not remarkable, mainly because of the low viral eradication rate. However, hepatic function reserve was found to improve or remain constant over a long period of time for these patients after the virus had been eradicated, and the overall survival rate was also found to have improved significantly. Today, direct‒acting antivirals can be used to eradicate the virus in patients, such as elderly patients or patients with advanced liver fibrosis, who are difficult to treat using interferon‒based therapy. The long‒term effects of viral eradication in these high‒risk groups should be evaluated in the future. | |