Viral Status and Treatment Efficacy in Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Primary Resection

BackgroundThe impact of viral background on long-term effectiveness of different treatment modalities for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was not fully analyzed.MethodConsecutive 726 patients who developed intrahepatic recurrence after primary hepatectomy for HCC between 2008 and 2015 were retrospectively studied. Post-recurrence survival (PRS) and rerecurrence-free survival (R-RFS) and risk factors were analyzed.ResultsAfter a median follow-up period of 56 months, the 5-year PRS rates of the patients who underwent rehepatectomy, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) were 79.4%, 83.0%, and 54.6%, respectively. The treatment benefit for PRS was consistently observed in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and non-B, non-C subgroups, but not hepatitis C virus (HCV). For patients with late recurrence of HCC, R-RFS was superior in HBV subgroup and HCV subgroup which received antiviral treatment (compared to naive HCV subgroup). Survival difference triaged by viral status was lost in the counterpart with early recurrence. Overall, RFA improved PRS and R-RFS in patients receiving antiviral treatment.ConclusionTo achieve long-term survival after HCC recurrence, rehepatectomy and RFA were comparably effective, particularly among those with HBV. Antiviral treatment complemented survivals of patients with HCV after RFA, particularly in late first recurrence.