Volume 28, Issue 7 pp. 1011-1018
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Effect of antiviral therapy in patients with low HBV DNA level on transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma

Myung Pyo Kim

Myung Pyo Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, South Korea

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Jae Kook Yang

Jae Kook Yang

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, South Korea

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Baek Gyu Jun

Corresponding Author

Baek Gyu Jun

Department of Internal Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, South Korea

Department of Internal Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea

Correspondence

Sae Hwan Lee, Liver clinic, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 31 Soonchunhyang 6gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam, 31151, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

Baek Gyu Jun, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, 38, Bangdong-gil, Sacheon-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

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Young Don Kim

Young Don Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, South Korea

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Gab Jin Cheon

Gab Jin Cheon

Department of Internal Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung, South Korea

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Hee Jae Jung

Hee Jae Jung

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea

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Jeong-Ju Yoo

Jeong-Ju Yoo

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea

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Sang Gyune Kim

Sang Gyune Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea

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Young Seok Kim

Young Seok Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, South Korea

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Soung Won Jeong

Soung Won Jeong

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Seoul Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

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Jae Young Jang

Jae Young Jang

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Seoul Hospital, Seoul, South Korea

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Hong Soo Kim

Hong Soo Kim

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, South Korea

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Sae Hwan Lee

Corresponding Author

Sae Hwan Lee

Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, South Korea

Correspondence

Sae Hwan Lee, Liver clinic, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Cheonan Hospital, 31 Soonchunhyang 6gil, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, Chungnam, 31151, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

Baek Gyu Jun, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Gangneung Asan Hospital, 38, Bangdong-gil, Sacheon-myeon, Gangneung-si, Gangwon-do, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 24 March 2021
Citations: 2

Kim and Yang contributed equally to this work.

Funding information

This study was supported by Medical Research Promotion Program through the Gangneung Asan Hospital funded by the Asan Foundation (2019-B07). This study was supported by grants from the Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the NRF funded by the Korean government, MSIP (2019M3E5D1A02069065)

Abstract

Antiviral therapy improves survival in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the effect of antiviral therapy in patients with low-level viremia HBV-HCC receiving non-curative therapy remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the role of antiviral therapy in patients with low-level viremia and treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). This retrospective study evaluated 206 patients with HBV-HCC who underwent TACE as an initial treatment. Of those, 135 patients received antiviral therapy (antiviral group), and 71 did not (non-antiviral group). The definition of low-level viremia was an HBV DNA level <2000 IU/ml. Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests and Cox regression analysis were used for statistical analyses. The median follow-up duration was 39 months (1–174 months). Overall survival (OS) did not differ between groups (P = .227). Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage (BCLC), Child-Pugh (CP) class and α-fetoprotein level were independent prognostic factors for OS. Antiviral therapy (hazard ratio [HR], 0.503, P = .022) was a prognostic factor for 2-year survival. On subgroup analysis, antiviral therapy improved short-term survival in patients with BCLC stage 0 and A (P = .037) and CP class A (P = .04). In patients with low-level viremia, antiviral therapy yielded short-term survival benefits, particularly in patients with early-stage HCC.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

All the authors declare no potential conflicts of interest pertinent to this manuscript.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that supports the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.

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