Key clinical point: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy prevents recurrence and improves overall survival (OS) in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially in those with a sustained virologic response (SVR).
Major finding: Patients receiving DAA vs no therapy had a significantly reduced recurrence (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 0.55; P < .001) and improved OS (aHR 0.36; P = .017). After DAA therapy, patients with SVR vs nonresponders had significantly lower recurrence rates (hazard ratio [HR] 0.37; P = .017) and mortality (HR 0.17; P = .001).
Study details: This was a meta-analysis of 23 cohort studies that evaluated the effects of DAA therapy, interferon therapy, or no intervention on recurrence or OS in patients with HCV-related HCC.
Disclosures: This study was sponsored by the Taishan Scholars Program for Young Expert of Shandong Province, China, among others. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Liu H et al. Clinical benefits of direct-acting antivirals therapy in hepatitis C virus patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022 (Jun 20). Doi: 10.1111/jgh.15915
