Development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a patient with chronic hepatitis C 7 years after treatment with interferon

Background: Persistent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major risk factor for the development of HCC. A number of large-scale retrospective cohort studies have demonstrated that interferon (IFN) therapy reduces the incidence of HCC not only in sustained virological responders, but also in transient biochemical responders without the elimination of HCV. Case report: At the age of 44 ys, a man was diagnosed as having chronic hepatitis C. From 1993, he was given IFN-alpha for 48 weeks. Cessation of the therapy was followed by a biochemical and virological relapse. In 2001, ultrasonography (US) showed a small…