Copyright
©2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. Aug 6, 2014; 5(3): 175-182
Published online Aug 6, 2014. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i3.175
Published online Aug 6, 2014. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v5.i3.175
Prevention of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Conrado M Fernández-Rodríguez, Jefe de la Unidad de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Fundación Alcorcón, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
María Luisa Gutiérrez-García, Unidad de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcón, 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain
Author contributions: Fernández-Rodríguez CM and Gutiérrez-García ML were both equal contributors for the content of this article.
Supported by Bristol-Myers Squibb
Correspondence to: Dr. Conrado M Fernández-Rodríguez, Jefe de la Unidad de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital Universitario Fundacion Alcorcón, Av Budapest-1; 28922 Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain. cfernandez@fhalcorcon.es
Telephone: +34-916-219705 Fax: +34-916-219975
Received: January 16, 2014
Revised: April 1, 2014
Accepted: July 12, 2014
Published online: August 6, 2014
Revised: April 1, 2014
Accepted: July 12, 2014
Published online: August 6, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: There is overwhelming evidence for the causal role of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, evidence for the role of antiviral therapy in HCC prevention is inconclusive, in part due to the slow course of HCC development, which makes conducting outcome studies very challenging, while the effectiveness of modern antiviral agents in suppressing HBV means that untreated control group comparisons are ethically unacceptable. We review the impact of HBV treatment on the risk of HCC development, with special focus on emerging data for modern anti-HBV drugs such as entecavir and tenofovir.