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Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma after interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C: Clinical study of 26 cases
Author(s) -
SUGIURA NOBUYUKI,
SAKAI YUZOH,
EBARA MASAAKI,
FUKUDA HIROYUKI,
YOSHIKAWA MASAHARU,
SAISHO HIROMITSU,
OHTO MASAO,
KONDO FUKUO
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1996.tb01698.x
Subject(s) - medicine , hepatocellular carcinoma , gastroenterology , interferon , stage (stratigraphy) , chronic hepatitis , fibrosis , combination therapy , histology , carcinoma , antiviral therapy , oncology , immunology , virus , paleontology , biology
The clinical findings in 26 patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was detected after the start of interferon (IFN) therapy for chronic hepatitis C were analysed. Histological study before IFN therapy showed that 34.6% of patients were categorized as stage 3 (septal fibrosis with architectural distortion; the 0–4 scale) and 80.8% demonstrated at least some evidence of septal fibrosis or more advanced features. The AFP levels examined before IFN therapy were more than 20 ng/mL in 13 patients (84.6% of those studied). One of 26 patients had a complete response to IFN therapy, while six of 26 patients had only a partial response. HCC was detected within 1 year after the start of IFN therapy in 76.9% of patients. Thus, the possibility of the early occurrence of HCC or its existence at the time of therapy should be seriously considered when IFN therapy is contemplated. Patients with stage 3 or 3–4 histology may already have a small undetectable HCC before IFN therapy. Thus, for this reason, every patient treated with IFN should be examined at short regular intervals for the development of HCC during and after IFN therapy.