Hepatitis B reactivation after treatment for HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma: comparative analysis of radiofrequency ablation versus hepatic resection

Abstract

To perform a comparative analysis of the reactivation rate of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and related risk factors after treatment of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or hepatic resection. We retrospectively analyzed the HBV reactivation rate and related risk factors of a cohort of 218 patients treated for HBV-related HCC between August 2008 and August 2011; the study population consisted of 125 patients who received RFA and 93 patients who received hepatic resection. Comparisons were made using the unpaired Student's t-test for continuous variables and the x2-test and Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors. Twenty patients showed HBV reactivation following treatment, but the incidence was significantly lower in the RFA group than in the hepatic resection group (5.6% vs. 14.0%, 7/125 vs. 13/93, x2 = 4.492, P = 0.034). The univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that no antiviral therapy (OR = 11.7; 95% CI: 1.52-90.8, P = 0.018) and the treatment type (i.e. RFA or hepatic resection) (OR = 3.36; 95% CI: 1.26-8.97, P = 0.016) were significant risk factors of HBV reactivation. Subgroup analysis showed that the incidence of HBV reactivation was lower in patients who received antiviral therapy than in those who did not for both the RFA group and the hepatic resection group but the difference was not significant in the former group (1/68 vs. 19/150, x2=7.039, P = 0.008 and 0/33 vs. 7/92, x2 = 2.660, P = 0.188, respectively). However, the incidence of HBV reactivation in patients who did not receive antiviral therapy was higher than in those who did receive antiviral therapy in the hepatic resection group (12/58 vs. 1/35, x2 = 5.773, P = 0.027). The incidence of HBV reactivation was lower in patients who received RFA than in those who received hepatic resection to treat HBV-related HCC. Antiviral therapy prior to the hepatic resection treatment may be beneficial for reducing the incidence of HBV reactivation.