Published online Oct 28, 2018. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i40.4606
Peer-review started: July 23, 2018
First decision: August 25, 2018
Revised: September 6, 2018
Accepted: October 5, 2018
Article in press: October 5, 2018
Published online: October 28, 2018
Processing time: 99 Days and 15.2 Hours
To investigate survival rate and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis in the antiviral era.
We used the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment. Korea’s health insurance system is a public single-payer system. The study population consisted of 286871 patients who were prescribed hepatitis B antiviral therapy for the first time between 2007 and 2014 in accordance with the insurance guidelines. Overall, 48365 antiviral treatment-naïve patients treated between 2008 and 2009 were included, and each had a follow-up period ≥ 5 years. Data were analyzed for the 1st decompensated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and treatment-naïve patients (n = 7166).
The mean patient age was 43.5 years. The annual mortality rates were 2.4%-19.1%, and 5-year cumulative mortality rate was 32.6% in 1st decompensated CHB treatment-naïve subjects. But the annual mortality rates sharply decreased to 3.4% (2.4%-4.9%, 2-5 year) after one year of antiviral treatment. Incidence of HCC at first year was 14.3%, the annual incidence of HCC decreased to 2.5% (1.8%-3.7%, 2-5 year) after one year. 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 24.1%. Recurrence rate of decompensated event was 46.9% at first year, but the annual incidence of second decompensation events in decompensated CHB treatment-naïve patients was 3.4% (2.1%-5.4%, 2-5 year) after one year antiviral treatment. 5-year cumulative recurrence rate of decompensated events was 60.6%. Meanwhile, 5-year cumulative mortality rate was 3.1%, and 5-year cumulative incidence of HCC was 11.5% in compensated CHB treatment-naïve patients.
Long term outcome of decompensated cirrhosis treated with antiviral agent improved much, and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and mortality sharply decreased after one year treatment.
Core tip: It is well known that antiviral treatment improves clinical outcomes of chronic hepatitis B-associated decompensated cirrhosis. However, long term and large scale clinical data regarding survival rate, and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with decompensated cirrhosis in the antiviral era are lacking. We investigated the survival rate and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with decompensated cirrhosis by using the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database. Long term outcome of treating hepatitis B-associated decompensated cirrhosis using antiviral agents improved much compare to previous reports. Cumulative mortality rate and incidence of HCC was sharply decreased after one year antiviral treatment.