title: Impact of pegylated interferon therapy on outcomes of patients with hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after curative hepatic resection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several published reports investigating the effects of interferon (IFN) therapy on survival and tumor recurrence after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been inconclusive. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of pegylated-IFN (peg-IFN) therapy after curative hepatic resection for HCC in patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from 175 patients who underwent curative hepatic resection for HCC associated with HCV were retrospectively collected and analyzed; 75 patients received peg-IFN therapy after surgery, whereas 100 patients did not receive IFN therapy. To overcome biases resulting from the different distribution of covariates in the two groups, a one-to-one match was created using propensity score analysis. After matching, patient outcomes were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After one-to-one matching, patients (n = 38) who received peg-IFN therapy after surgery and patients (n = 38) who did not receive IFN therapy had the same preoperative and operative characteristics. The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates of patients who received peg-IFN therapy after hepatic resection were significantly higher than those of patients who did not receive IFN therapy (P = 0.00135). The 3- and 5-year overall survival rates were 100 and 91.7% and 76.6 and 50.6% in the peg-IFN group and non-IFN group, respectively. There was no significant difference in disease-free survival between the two matched groups (P = 0.886).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peg-IFN therapy may be effective as an adjuvant chemopreventive agent after hepatic resection in patients with HCV-related HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshisato
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Hirotaka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tashiro
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aikata
authors.forename: Hironobu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amano
authors.forename: Akihiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oshita
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Shintaro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuroda
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tazawa
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itamoto
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chayama
authors.forename: Hideki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohdan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006498:Hepatectomy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a