Faculty Opinions recommendation of Eradication of hepatitis C virus infection and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis of observational studies.
Most of the Western studies that have assessed the association between hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication and hepatic decompensation or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have solely included patients with advanced liver disease, who are most at risk for these cirrhosis-related complications. However, as we have long depended on interferon-based treatment regimens, these studies predominantly included cirrhotic patients with relatively favorable characteristics. In this meta-analysis, in which the results of all available cohort studies among patients with advanced liver disease were pooled, the results indicated that within this population the hazard ratio (HR) of sustained virological response (SVR) for the occurrence of HCC was 0.23 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.16-0.35). Combining studies which included patients with all stages of fibrosis resulted in a pooled HR of 0.24 (95% CI 0.18-0.31) regarding SVR and HCC occurrence, although these studies were mostly performed in Japan, where the incidence of HCC is substantially higher. This Recommendation is of an article referenced in an F1000 Faculty Review also written by Raoel Maan and Adriaan J. van der Meer.