Eradication of hepatitis C virus profoundly prolongs survival in hepatocellular carcinoma patients receiving transarterial chemoembolization.

Adjuvant pegylated interferon plus ribavirin treatment (Peg IFN/ RBV) reduces recurrence and prolongs survival in early stage hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) patients with chronic hepatitis C ( CHC) infection receiving resection or ablation. However, the impact of antiviral therapy in intermediate and advanced stage of CHC- HCC patients is uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the impact Peg IFN/ RBV treatment on recurrence-free interval and survival in patients with HCC receiving transarterial chemoembolization ( TACE). From 2010 to 2013, 274 CHC patients from a 1073 patient-based cohort composed of freshly diagnosed HCC and receiving TACE treatment the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou Medical Center were recruited. Propensity score matching ( PSM) (age, gender, AST to Platelet Ratio Index ( APRI), tumour size, tumour number and Child-Turcotte-Pugh score) with the ratio 1:2 for patients with and without Peg IFN/ RBV treatment was performed. Statistics were performed with SPSS V.20 ( IBM, USA). After matching, 153 patients were analysed and 27 patients (17.6%) achieved sustained virologic response ( SVR). The 2-year cumulative overall survival rate and recurrence-free survival rate among patients with SVR, non- SVR, and untreated were 85.2% vs 58.3% vs 69.6% ( P=.001) and 73.3% vs 53.8% vs 58.5% ( P=.013). By Cox regression analysis, non- SVR, untreated, increase CTP score and nonresponder to TACE were independent factors related to mortality. The SVR achieved by Peg IFN/ RBV treatment markedly improves survival and reduces tumour recurrence in CHC- HCC patients receiving TACE treatment after complete response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]