Reduction of chronic hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma with anti-viral therapy, including low risk patients

Background: Anti-viral therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is associated with a reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) primary described in patients with cirrhosis.

Aim: To examine the effects of treatment on HCC incidence in CHB with and without cirrhosis, after adjustment for background risks.

Methods: A total of 2255 CHB patients from a US cohort (973 received anti-viral therapy) and 3653 patients from the community-based Taiwanese REVEAL-HBV study, none of whom received treatment. We used Cox proportional hazard models to calculate the risk of developing HCC after adjustment with the previously validated REACH-B risk score.

Results: We found 273 incident cases of HCC. After adjustment, therapy lowered the risk of HCC development in the US treated cohort when compared to the US untreated cohort (HR 0.31; 95% CI: 0.15-0.66; P = 0.002). HCC risk reduction was also confirmed when compared to the REVEAL cohort (HR 0.22; 95% CI: 0.12-0.40; P < 0.001). Each REACH-B point was associated with a 53% increased risk of HCC (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.46-1.59; P < 0.001). We found a significant statistical reduction in HCC incidence with therapy regardless of gender, age, cirrhosis status, HBeAg serology, alanine aminotransferase level, REACH-B score or treatment medication. Therapy was beneficial to those with mildly- to moderately elevated HBV DNA levels (>2000 IU/mL) and of even greater benefit to those with levels >200 000 IU/mL.

Conclusion: After adjustment for background risk, anti-viral therapy was associated with a significant reduction in HCC incidence in both community and real-life clinical cohorts, including in those patients previously thought to be at low risk.