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Interferon lowers tumor recurrence rate after surgical resection or ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot study of patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis

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Abstract

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) often recurs after surgical or medical treatment.

Methods

Eighty consecutive patients with HBV-positive cirrhosis and HCC who underwent potentially curative ablation for HCC were analyzed. Eleven patients received long-term interferon (IFN) therapy. HBV DNA was quantified at the time of HCC treatment. A DNA value of <6.0 log copies/ml was considered low.

Results

Initial DNA was low in 39 and high in 41 patients. HCC recurrence rates in the low DNA group and high DNA group were 46.9% and 82.6% at the fifth year, and 73.5% and 91.3% at the tenth year, respectively (P = 0.0103). Similarly, recurrence rates after treatment of HCC in the normal aspartate aminotransferase (AST) group (<38 IU/l, n = 42) and abnormal AST group (n = 38) were 50.6% and 84.0% at the fifth year, and 71.3% and 100% at the tenth year, respectively (P = 0.0003). Six of the 38 patients with abnormal AST, and 5 of 42 patients with normal AST, received IFN after confirmation of tumor ablation. In the subgroup of abnormal AST, tumor recurrence rates in the IFN and untreated groups were 16.7% and 37.9% at the end of the first year, 16.7% and 60.1% at the second year, and 16.7% and 83.4% at the third year, respectively (P = 0.0139). Multivariate analysis revealed that IFN significantly reduced the recurrence rate (hazard ratio = 0.21, P = 0.037) even after adjusting for background characteristics.

Conclusions

IFN was inferred to decrease tumor recurrence after treatment of HCC in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis, especially in the subgroup with high AST.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hepatology, Toranomon Hospital, 2-2-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-8470, Japan

    Takashi Someya, Kenji Ikeda, Satoshi Saitoh, Masahiro Kobayashi, Tetsuya Hosaka, Hitomi Sezaki, Norio Akuta, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Yasuji Arase & Hiromitsu Kumada

  2. Okinaka Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Someya, Kenji Ikeda, Satoshi Saitoh, Masahiro Kobayashi, Tetsuya Hosaka, Hitomi Sezaki, Norio Akuta, Fumitaka Suzuki, Yoshiyuki Suzuki, Yasuji Arase & Hiromitsu Kumada

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  1. Takashi Someya
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Someya, T., Ikeda, K., Saitoh, S. et al. Interferon lowers tumor recurrence rate after surgical resection or ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: a pilot study of patients with hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis. J Gastroenterol 41, 1206–1213 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1912-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-006-1912-0

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