RELATION BETWEEN DEGREE OF LIVER STIFFNESS AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA IN CHRONIC HEPATITIS C VIRUS PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common tumor worldwide and the second most common cause of cancer-related death. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hence the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Egypt has the highest HCV prevalence worldwide. The introduction of new direct acting antiviral agents in the past 5 years has dramatically improved the outcomes of HCV treatment response with > 90% of patients achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) after 12 weeks of end treatment. However, the effect of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) induced HCV clearance on HCC recurrence after HCC treatment has emerged as a topic of controversy. Objective: To evaluate the relation between liver stiffness as measured by fibro scan and development of HCC in chronic HCV patients. Patients and methods: A prospective study was done at Kafar Alshaykh National Hepatology Institute conducted in collaboration with the Gastroenterology Unit Department of Internal Medicine, Al-Hussein University Hospital, and Cairo Egypt. The study included 150 patients with proven liver cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis C (CHC) they were further sub classified into three equal groups: Group I with chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and HCC, Group II with CHC and HCC that appeared after treatment with DAA, and Group III (control group) with cirrhotic chronic hepatitis C (CHC) without HCC. Results: In this study, there was a statistically significant difference between group I (30.38 ± 11.32 kPa) and controlled group (25.0 ± 13.34 kPa), regarding fibro scan results (P = 0.004). On other hand there was no significant difference between group II (23.24 ± 7.69 kPa) and controlled group regarding LS. Conclusion: Fibro scan can be a good technique for detection of HCC high-risk cirrhotic patients not treated by DAA and can be of great added value if incorporated in the current HCC screening protocols in hepatitis C cirrhotic patients. On the other hand, LS tended to decrease dramatically after the treatment with DAA. Using TE in these patients would therefore be misleading liver stiffness measurement (LSM), the risk of HCC remains because advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis, which is the most important risk factor for liver cancer, not completely resolved by antiviral treatment. As a matter of fact, the degree of liver fibrosis seems to be a strong predictor of the risk of HCC development.