Background: High serum load of hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a strong risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, independent of hepatitis B e antigen, serum alanine aminotransferase level, and liver cirrhosis. We evaluated whether serum HBV DNA load is associated with the risk of recurrence of HBV-related HCC treated with radiofrequency ablation (RFA).
Methods: The study population was 69 consecutive patients with HBV-related HCC treated locally completely with RFA between January 2000 and September 2007. The risk factors for HCC recurrence were analyzed based on laboratory data, including serum HBV DNA load, together with tumor size and number using univariate and multivariate proportional hazard regression analyses.
Results: HCC recurrence was observed in 42 of 69 patients during the median observation period of 1.5 years. Cumulative recurrence rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 26.5, 57.8, and 74.3%, respectively. In univariate analysis, albumin (<3.5 g/dl), platelet count (<150 × 10(3)/mm(3)), prothrombin activity (PT) (<70%), Child-Pugh class B, serum HBV DNA load (>4.0 log10 copies/ml), and tumor number (>3) were associated with the recurrence at p ≤ 0.15. Multivariate Cox regression analysis with stepwise variable selection showed that the tumor number (risk ratio, 4.63; 95% CI, 1.50-14.25, P = 0.0076), low PT (3.39, 1.52-5.78, P = 0.0029), and high HBV DNA load (2.67, 1.16-6.14, P = 0.021) were independent risk factors for HCC recurrence.
Conclusion: Serum HBV DNA load is associated with the risk of recurrence of HBV-related HCC after RFA.