title: Impact of baseline hepatitis B viral DNA levels on survival of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the main etiologies of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We explored the impact of HBV DNA levels on the prognosis of patients with advanced HCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was based on patients with advanced HCC and chronic HBV infection enrolled into three phase II trials evaluating first-line antiangiogenic therapy. Pre-treatment HBV DNA levels were measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-two patients were included. Patients with detectable HBV DNA levels had poorer median overall survival (OS) compared to patients without detectable levels (4.8 vs. 9.3 months, p=0.037). After adjusting for other clinicopathologic variables, the baseline HBV DNA level was an independent predictor of poor OS (p=0.014). Baseline HBV DNA levels were not correlated with progression-free survival or disease control rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Baseline HBV DNA levels were associated with the prognosis of patients with chronic HBV infection receiving antiangiogenic therapy for advanced HCC.
authors: Department of Oncology, National Taiwan University Hospital, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 10002, Taiwan, ROC.
authors: Yu-Yun
authors: YY
authors: Shao
authors: Pei-Jer
authors: PJ
authors: Chen
authors: Zhong-Zhe
authors: ZZ
authors: Lin
authors: Chien-Chung
authors: CC
authors: Huang
authors: Yea-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Ding
authors: Ying-Hui
authors: YH
authors: Lee
authors: Chih-Hung
authors: CH
authors: Hsu
authors: Ann-Lii
authors: AL
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000235:genetics / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral