In a retrospective cohort study, incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma
occurred over time among adults with chronic hepatitis B virus infection
being treated with entecavir or tenofovir, according to study data.
“In particular, long-term monotherapy with one of the current first-line
nucleoside analogues, entecavir or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate,
results in maintained virological remission in [greater than] 95% of
patients, often achieves regression of the histological lesions of
cirrhosis and prevents or reverses hepatic decompensation,” the
researchers wrote. “However, hepatocellular carcinoma may still develop
in chronic hepatitis B patients, particularly those with cirrhosis, even
when they achieve maintained virological remission under long-term
therapy with [nucleoside analogues].”
“The findings of this large multicenter retrospective study in Caucasian
patients with [chronic HBV] indicate that HCC may still develop under
effective long-term [entecavir] or [tenofovir] therapy, with the HCC
risk being higher in patients with more advanced liver disease,” the
researchers wrote.
Papatheodoridis GV, et al. J Hepatol. 2015;doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2014.08.045.
Read more...Labels: antivirals and HCC, entecavir monotherapy, tenofovir