title: Treatment discontinuation with peg-interferon: what to consider.
abstract: Eradication of chronic hepatitis C virus infection improves the outcome of both liver and extrahepatic-related diseases and interferon-based regimens represented, for years, the standard of care to achieve this goal. Several baseline and on-treatment predictors of response, associated with a lower chance to achieve sustained virological response after interferon-based treatment, were developed. In the past few years, the advent of direct acting antivirals has dramatically modified the landscape of antiviral therapy, leading to an evolution from interferon-based to interferon-free therapies. This review will focus on the usefulness of futility stopping rules that allow the discontinuation of therapy in patients with a reduced chance to obtain sustained virological response if treated with interferon-containing regimens.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital , Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boccaccio
authors.affiliation: a 1 Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital , Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: a 1 Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital , Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carbone
authors.affiliation: a 1 Internal Medicine and Hepatology Unit, Humanitas Research Hospital , Rozzano, Italy.|b 2 Department of Internal Medicine, Humanitas University Medicine , Rozzano, Italy.
authors.forename: Savino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bruno
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D007372:Interferons
keywords: futility stopping rules; hepatitis C virus infection; interferon-based regimens; predictors of response; sustained virological response; treatment discontinuation