| Abstract: | ![]()
Abstract: To explain the appearance rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients treated with interferon (IFN) and to assess the risk factors for hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we studied 442 patients with chronic type C hepatitis for one to 7.6 years (median 2.8 years). Of these 442 patients, 135 (30.5%) showed a complete response with persistent HCV-RNA negativity for more than six months after completing IFN therapy. During the observation period, HCC developed in 16 patients. We divided the patients into three groups based on laparoscopic findings of the liver surface : smooth, irregular, and nodular. The cumulative appearance rates of HCC in these three liver types were zero, 6.6% and 14%, respectively, at the end of the fifth year. As to the efficacy of IFIM, the HCC appearance rate in patients who responded was lower than that in patients who did not (p<0.05). However, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the laparoscopic findings correlated most strongly with liver carcinogenesis. Therefore, we conclude that laparoscopic findings before IFN therapy are significantly associated with liver carcinogenesis over the short term observation period after IFN therapy. |
