Antiviral therapy may protect the hepatitis B virus (HBV) from developing into hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a study published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. For their analysis, researchers evaluated more than 26,000 adults with HBV. Overall, 3% of participants developed HCC. The researchers found that occurrence of HCC was significantly lower among those treated with antiviral therapy during 5 years of follow-up and were 60% less likely to develop the disease than those who were not treated with antiviral therapy. These findings suggest that clinicians may have one more treatment in their armamentarium that will help prevent the development of cancer, the researchers concluded.
Antivirals May Protect HBV Patients from Liver Cancer
Researchers have found that antiviral therapy may be successful in preventing hepatitis B virus from developing into the most common form of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). That was the finding of a study published in a recent issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Overall, 3% of patients developed HCC during the study’s timeframe.