A study, published in the Journal of Hepatology, shows an unexpectedly high rate and pattern of tumor recurrence coinciding with hepatitis C virus clearance in patients who had already developed hepatocellular carcinoma.
The study included 58 patients with HCV infection and prior history of treated hepatocelullar carcinoma. They all also underwent anti-HCV treatment with all-oral direct acting antivirals in four hospitals.
Here are three key insights:
1. After a median follow-up of 5.7 months, three patients died and 16 developed radiologic tumor recurrence.
2. The pattern of recurrence was intrahepatic growth, new intrahepatic lesion and infiltrative ill-defined hepatocellular carcinoma and/or extra-hepatic lesions in three patients.
3. Though the study is based in a very small cohort of patients, the results should be taken as a note of caution, the investigators note.