Higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B vs chronic hepatitis C after achievement of virologic response

It is unclear whether the achievement of virologic response modifies the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) differently in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Our aim was to compare the risk of HCC between patients with CHB and CHC who achieved virological response. We analysed data from patients with CHB treated with entecavir (n= 2000) or CHC treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin (n= 733) at a tertiary hospital from 2004 to 2011. Virological response was defined as serum HBV DNA< 15 IU/mL at 1 year of treatment for CHB or the achievement of sustained virologic response for CHC. Virological response was achieved in 1520 patients with CHB (76.0%) and 475 patients with CHC (64.8%). During the median follow-up period of 6 years, 228 patients with CHB (11.4%) and 59 patients with CHC (8.0%) developed HCC. Among patients with virological response, CHB was independently associated with a significantly higher incidence of HCC (hazard ratio, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.30-3.63; P=. 003) than CHC. Among patients without virological response, there were no differences in HCC incidence between the two cohorts (P=. 52). In patients with cirrhosis at baseline, the incidence of HCC did not differ between the two cohorts even after achieving virological response (P>. 99). In conclusion, patients with CHB treated with entecavir were associated with a higher risk of HCC compared to patients with CHC treated with peg-interferon and ribavirin after achieving virological response. However, the risk of HCC did not differ between the two cohorts if the patients had cirrhosis at baseline, even if virological response was achieved.