Who Should Not Be Surveilled for HCC Development after Successful Therapy with DAAS in Advanced Chronic Hepatitis C? Results of a Long-Term Prospective Study

Abstract

Background and aims: The identification of patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-positive advanced chronic liver disease (aCLD) successfully treated by Direct Acting Antiviral Agents (DAAs) who really benefit from Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) surveillance programs is still a matter of debate. We performed a long-term prospective cohort study on F3-F4 HCV-positive patients achieving Sustained Virologic Response (SVR) after DAAs treatment in order to identify patients who can safely suspend surveillance. Methods: 1000 patients with HCV-positive aCLD obtaining SVR by DAAs from January 2015 to December 2017 were divided into four groups according to baseline elastographic, ultrasonographic, clinical and biochemical features: (1) Group 1: 324 patients with Liver Stiffness Measurement (LSM) ≥ 9.5 ≤ 14.5 kPa, FIB-4 < 3.25 and APRI < 1.5 (2) Group 2: 133 patients with LSM ≥ 9.5 ≤ 14.5 kPa, FIB-4 ≥ 3.25 and/or APRI ≥ 1.5 (3) Group 3: 158 patients with LSM > 14.5 kPa, FIB-4 < 3.25 and APRI < 1.5 (4) Group 4: 385 patients with LSM > 14.5 kPa, FIB-4 ≥ 3.25 and/or APRI ≥ 1.5. FIB-4 and APRI scores were calculated at baseline and at SVR achievement. Each patient was surveiled twice-yearly by ultrasound for a median follow-up of 48 months. Results: among Group 1 patients, 1/324 (0.3%) developed HCC (0.09/100 patients/year [PY]), compared to 6/133 (4.5%) Group 2 patients (1.22/100 PY, p = 0.0009), 10/158 (6.3%) Group 3 patients (1.68/100 PY, p = 0.0001), 54/385 (14.0%) Group 4 patients (4.01/100 PY, p < 0.0001). HCC incidence was significantly lower in Group 2 compared to Group 3 (p = 0.004) and in Group 3 compared to Group 4 (p = 0.009). HCC risk fell in patients showing a decrease of FIB-4/APRI scores. Conclusions: the risk of HCC occurrence is negligible in about 90% of HCV-positive patients with baseline LSM ≥ 9.5 ≤ 14.5 kPa plus FIB-4 < 3.25 and APRI < 1.5 achieving SVR. Among this particular subset of patients, FIB-4/APRI scores may represent an accurate and inexpensive tool to distinguish patients not needing long-term HCC surveillance.