title: Hepatocellular carcinoma development in sustained viral responders to interferon therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
abstract: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tends to decrease in sustained responders (SR) to interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C rather than in non-responders (NR). However, some SR develop HCC and their details and prognosis are not well-known, so we investigated such cases. Among 462 patients who underwent IFN therapy and were available for follow-up, 142 patients (30.7%) were SR and six of these (4.2%) developed HCCs. The interval between interferon therapy and diagnosis of HCC was 32-99 months (average 59.2 months). Five of the six cases were single HCCs sized 20-125 mm. The remainder was multiple HCCs. After initial treatment, five patients (83.3%) relapsed and three patients (60%) died due to the HCC. The interval between initial treatment and recurrence was 2-14 months (average 5.8 months). Among the three fatal cases, the interval between initial treatment and their death was 11-66 months (average 29.3 months). Though the prognosis of the one patient who did not relapse after initial treatment was good, the other five patients relapsed and three of them died due to the HCC. These results suggest that the prognosis of sustained responders who develop HCC after IFN therapy is not necessarily good, so close follow-up remains necessary, despite their response to IFN therapy.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Mie University School of Medicine, 2-174, Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Enokimura
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiraki
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawakita
authors.forename: Yukiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Saitou
authors.forename: Hidekazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okano
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Deguchi
authors.forename: Takahisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujikawa
authors.forename: Kazumoto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Niki
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D007372:Interferons