title: Does chemotherapy cause viral relapse in cancer patients with hepatitis C infection successfully treated with antivirals?
abstract: Authors have reported conflicting results on the persistence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients having sustained virologic response (SVR) to treatment. Therefore, we sought to determine whether chemotherapy leads to viral relapse in 30 HCV-infected patients who had SVR before cancer diagnosis. Half of them had hematologic malignancies. Most (60%) received HCV therapy with interferon and ribavirin. Chemotherapy was started at a median of 72 months after SVR and included rituximab (27%), cyclophosphamide (23%), cisplatin (17%), or corticosteroids (37%). No patient had post-SVR viral relapse. Therapeutically induced resolution of HCV appears to be permanent and not affected by chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas; The University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Parag
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mahale
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Pablo C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Okhuysen
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Infection Control and Employee Health, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas. Electronic address: htorres@mdanderson.org.
authors.forename: Harrys A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Torres
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D012254:Ribavirin
keywords: Chemotherapy; Hepatitis C Virus; Interferon; Ribavirin; SVR