Patients with decompensated cirrhosis who did not achieve virologic response with entecavir treatment were still at risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, compared with compensated patients, according to data from a new study.
Researchers studied 306 patients (mean age, 49.4 years; 68.3% men) with chronic hepatitis B and cirrhosis between December 2006 and September 2011. Each patient was assigned 0.5 mg entecavir (ETV) every 3 to 6 months for at least 12 months at a South Korean hospital. Median follow-up was 37 months.
Compensated cirrhosis was diagnosed in 68.3% of patients, 31.7% had decompensated cirrhosis, and 17% previously had received antiviral treatment before ETV.
Read more... Labels: decompensated cirrhosis, entecavir, Liver cancer HCC, virologic response