| Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk |
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Sunday, 08 March 2009 12:02
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Two recent studies looked at risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in people with hepatitis C. As reported in the January 2009 Gastroenterology, A. Lok and colleagues evaluated the incidence rate and risk factors for HCC in the HALT-C study, a trial comparing low-dose (90 mcg once-weekly) Pegasys maintenance therapy for 3.5 years versus no further treatment in 1,005 chronic hepatitis C patients with bridging fibrosis or cirrhosis who did not respond to standard therapy. During a median 4.6 years of follow-up (maximum 6.7 years), 48% developed HCC. The cumulative five-year HCC incidence rate was similar for participants in the maintenance therapy arm (5.4%) and those who received no further treatment (5.0%). People with cirrhosis were almost twice as likely to develop HCC as those with bridging fibrosis (7.0% vs. 4.1%). Eight patients (17%) whose serial biopsy specimens showed only fibrosis developed HCC. In a second study, reported in the February 2009 Journal of Hepatology, M. Hassan and colleagues analyzed the influence of family history of liver cancer on development of HCC. The study included 347 patients at the University of Texas with confirmed HCC and 1,075 healthy control subjects. Individuals who had a first-degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) with liver cancer were about four times more likely to develop HCC, independent of hepatitis B or C status (adjusted odds ratio 4.1). Having siblings with liver cancer in particular was associated with an even greater risk, with or without hepatitis B or C (adjusted odds ratio 5.7). All cases in which a person had multiple relatives with liver cancer were HCC patients with chronic HBV or HCV. Considering only individuals with hepatitis B or C, those with a family history of liver cancer were about 60 times more likely to develop HCC (adjusted odds ratio 61.9). http://www.hcvadvocate.org Add this page to your favourite Social Bookmarking websites;         
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