Early occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with and without cirrhosis after HCV treatment with direct-acting antivirals.

356Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk of HCC development after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAA) and to compare hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence to patients treated with interferon (IFN)-based therapies. Methods: We analyzed a large cohort with chronic HCV patients for the onset of new hepatocellular carcinoma after DAA treatment. A historic interferon treated cohort was investigated for comparison. Results: 819 patients were included in the DAA group, 269 (32.8%) had established cirrhosis. Median follow up was 263 days (0-1001). 25 patients (3.1%) were diagnosed with de novo HCC within the observation time. All of these patients had established cirrhosis. Patients with new HCC were mostly male, older, treatment experienced, had a lower SVR12 rate and higher levels of liver inflammation markers. Investigation of the subcohort of 269 cirrhotic patients yielded a HCC rate of 9.3% during the follow-up of approximately one year. Non-SVR12 was an independent risk fac...