title: Effect of nucleoside analog use in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effect of nucleoside analog (NA) therapy on clinical outcome in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent curative therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 131 patients with HBV-related HCC who underwent curative therapy were analyzed. They were divided into an NA group who received NA therapy (n = 99, group A) and a control group (n = 32, group B). Group A was further classified into two groups of patients who either received NA therapy before HCC therapy (n = 34, group Aa) or who received NA therapy with initial HCC therapy (n = 65, group Ab). Overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were compared in the three groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1- and 3-year cumulative OS rates were both in group Aa, 100% and 88.0% in group Ab, and 100% and 75.7% in group B (overall significance, P = 0.002), respectively. The corresponding RFS rates were 93.1% and 36.0% in group Aa, 78.3% and 45.7% in group Ab, and 78.0% and 38.0% in group B (overall significance, P = 0.734), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that being part of group Aa (P < 0.001) or group Ab (P < 0.001) and having albumin levels of 4.0 g/dL or more (P = 0.040) were significantly associated with OS, while HCC stage (P = 0.001) and hepatitis B e-antigen positivity (P < 0.001) were independent predictors linked to RFS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NA therapy in patients with HBV-related HCC may improve survival after curative therapy.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka Red Cross Hospital, Osaka.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arimoto
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inuzuka
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kita
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Osaki
keywords: hepatitis B virus; hepatocellular carcinoma; nucleoside analog; overall survival; recurrence-free survival