Hepatic decompensation is the major driver of death in HCV-infected cirrhotic patients with successfully treated early hepatocellular carcinoma

Background & Aims: Assessment of long-term outcome is required in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with cirrhosis, who have been successfully treated for Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage A hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, problems arise due to the lack of models accounting for early changes during follow-up. The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of early events (HCC recurrence or hepatic decompensation within 12 months of complete radiological response) on 5-year overall survival (OS) in a large cohort of patients with HCV and cirrhosis, successfully treated HCC. Methods: A total of 328 consecutive Caucasian patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and BCLC stage 0/A HCC who had complete radiological response after curative resection or thermal ablation were prospectively recruited to this study. Primary endpoint of the study was 5-year OS. Independent baseline and time-dependent predictors of 5-year OS were identified by Cox model. Results: The observed 5-year survival rate was 44%. The observed HCC early recurrence and early hepatic decompensation rate were 21% and 10%, respectively. Early hepatic decompensation (Hazard Ratio [HR] 7.52; 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.23-13.48) and HCC early recurrence as time-dependent covariates (HR 2.50; 95% CI: 1.23-5.05), presence of esophageal varices at baseline (HR 1.66; 95% CI: 1.02-2.70) and age (HR 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02-1.07) were significantly associated with the 5-year OS. Conclusion: Survival in HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis and successfully treated HCC is influenced by early hepatic decompensation. Our study indirectly suggests that direct-acting antiviral agents couldimprove OS of HCC patients through long-term preservation of liver function, resulting in a lower cirrhosis-related mortality and a greater change of receiving curative treatments. Lay summary: Survival in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected patients with cirrhosis and successfully treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is mainly influenced by early hepatic decompensation. HCV eradication after treatment with new directacting antiviral agents could improve overall survival of HCC patients through long-term preservation of liver function. (C) 2017 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.