title: Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in patients with curative resection or ablation: impact of HCV eradication does not depend on the use of interferon.
abstract: In HCV-infected cirrhotic patients with successfully treated early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the time to HCC recurrence and the effects of sustained viral eradication (SVR) by interferon (IFN)-based or IFN-free regimens on HCC recurrence remain unclear.
  
  
  
  To perform an indirect comparison of time to recurrence (TTR) in patients with successfully treated early HCC and active HCV infection with those of patients with SVR by IFN-based and by IFN-free regimens.
  
  
  
  We evaluated 443 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Stage A/0 HCC who had a complete radiological response after curative resection or ablation. Active HCV infection was present in 328, selected from the Italian Liver Cancer group cohort; 58 patients had SVR achieved by IFN-free regimens after HCC cure, and 57 patients had SVR achieved by IFN-based regimens after HCC cure. Individual data of patients in the last two groups were extracted from available publications.
  
  
  
  TTR by Kaplan-Meier curve was significantly lower in patients with active HCV infection compared with those with SVR both by IFN-free (P = 0.02) and by IFN-based (P < 0.001) treatments. TTR was similar in patients with SVR by IFN-free or by IFN-based (P = 0.49) strategies.
  
  
  
  In HCV-infected, successfully treated patients with early HCC, SVR obtained by IFN-based or IFN-free regimens significantly reduce tumour recurrence without differences related to the anti-viral strategy used.
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Petta
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Cabibbo
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Barbara
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Attardo
authors: Bologna, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bucci
authors: Padova, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Farinati
authors: Genoa, Italy.
authors: E G
authors: EG
authors: Giannini
authors: Bologna, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Tovoli
authors: Zingonia, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Ciccarese
authors: Rome, Italy.
authors: G L
authors: GL
authors: Rapaccini
authors: Seriate, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Di Marco
authors: Viterbo, Italy.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Caturelli
authors: Bologna, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Zoli
authors: Milan, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Borzio
authors: Pisa, Italy.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Sacco
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Virdone
authors: Florence, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Marra
authors: Bolzano, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Felder
authors: Naples, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Morisco
authors: Padova, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Benvegnù
authors: Rome, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gasbarrini
authors: Ancona, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Svegliati-Baroni
authors: Faenza, Italy.
authors: F G
authors: FG
authors: Foschi
authors: Parma, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Olivani
authors: Negrar, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Masotto
authors: Naples, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Nardone
authors: Bologna, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Colecchia
authors: Salerno, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Persico
authors: Rozzano, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Boccaccio
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Craxì
authors: Rozzano, Italy.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bruno
authors: Bologna, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Trevisani
authors: Palermo, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Cammà
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D007372:Interferons