Gut Liver.  2007 Dec;1(2):151-158.

Prevention by Lamivudine of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients Infected with Hepatitis B Virus

• Lee HJ
• Eun R
• Jang BI
• Kim TN

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study evaluated the prevention by lamivudine of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in chronic hepatitis B patients.
METHODS
Lamivudine therapy was administered to 879 of the 2,511 patients who satisfied our analysis inclusion criteria. A Cox regression model revealed that four factors increased the prevalence of HCC: gender (females; OR=0.53, p=0.006), age (> or =40 years; OR=4.64, p<0.001), platelet count (> or =100x10(3)/mm3; OR=0.35, p<0.001), and alcohol consumption (> or =80 g/day; OR=1.79, p=0.004). Five hundred and eighty-nine patients in the lamivudine-treated group and 589 patients in the control group were selected for a matched case-control study. The mean follow-up periods were 2.8 and 5.1 years in the lamivudine-treated and control groups, respectively.
RESULTS
HCC occurred in 10 patients (1.7%) of the lamivudine group, with an incidence rate of 0.61% patients/year, and in 65 patients (11.0%) of the control group, with an incidence rate of 2.16% patients/year. The cumulative incidence of HCC was lower in the lamivudine group than in the control group (p=0.0117, log-rank test).
CONCLUSIONS
Lamivudine can reduce the incidence of HCC in patients suffering from chronic hepatitis B.

Keyword

Lamivudine; Chronic hepatitis B; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Prevention

MeSH Terms

Alcohol Drinking
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular*
Case-Control Studies
Follow-Up Studies
Hepatitis B virus*
Hepatitis B*
Hepatitis B, Chronic
Hepatitis*
Humans
Incidence
Lamivudine*
Platelet Count
Prevalence
Lamivudine