Topic Highlight
Copyright ©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2014; 20(32): 11054-11061
Published online Aug 28, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i32.11054
Hepatitis C virus and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: Pathogenesis, behavior and treatment
Carlo Visco, Silvia Finotto
Carlo Visco, Silvia Finotto, Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, San Bortolo Hospital, 36100 Vicenza, Italy
Author contributions: Visco C and Finotto S contributed equally to this work.
Supported by In part by grants of AViLL/AIL (Associazione Vicentina per le Leucemie, i Linfomi e il Mieloma/Associazione Italiana Leucemie) (Vicenza, Italy); the Hematology Project Foundation (HPF, Fondazione Progetto Ematologia, Vicenza, Italy)
Correspondence to: Carlo Visco, MD, Department of Hematology and Cell Therapy, San Bortolo Hospital, Ospedale San Bortolo, Via Rodolfi 37, 36100 Vicenza, Italy. carlovisco@hotmail.com
Telephone: +39-4-44753626 Fax: +39-4-44753922
Received: December 24, 2013
Revised: February 25, 2014
Accepted: May 29, 2014
Published online: August 28, 2014
Processing time: 248 Days and 11.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core tip: Patients with hepatitis C virus-positive diffuse large B-cell lymphoma should be managed in a multidisciplinary setting. Initial evaluation of liver status and comorbidities is essential to establish if the patient is candidate to curative approaches. Unless contraindicated by adverse clinical conditions, patients should be treated with standard immuno-chemotherapy. Concomitant hepatitis B virus infection and liver failure or cirrhosis confer a significantly higher risk of viral reactivation or therapy related complications. These patients should be managed cautiously and treated with less intense approaches at least for the initial cycles. Antiviral treatment should be considered after the end of immuno-chemotherapy, when lymphoma remission has been achieved.