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Updated: Mar 20, 2026

A Three-Dimensional Spheroid Model to Investigate the Tumor-Stromal Interaction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Published on: September 30, 2021
IMPACT OF THE PEGYLATED-INTERFERON AND RIBAVIRIN THERAPY ON THE TREATMENT-RELATED MORTALITY OF PATIENTS WITH
Kelly Fernanda Nomura Dresch1, Angelo Alves de Mattos1, Cristiane Valle Tovo1
1Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brasil.
Unlabelled:
Although the protease inhibitors have revolutionized the therapy of chronic hepatitis C (CHC), the concomitant use of pegylated-interferon (PEG-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) is associated to a high rate of adverse effects. In this study, we evaluated the consequences of PEG-IFN and RBV and their relationship with mortality in patients with cirrhosis.
Methods:
Medical records of CHC who underwent treatment with PEG-IFN and RBV in a public hospital in Brazil were evaluated. All the patients with cirrhosis were selected, and their clinical and laboratory characteristics, response to treatment, side effects and mortality were evaluated.
Results:
From the 1,059 patients with CHC, 257 cirrhotic patients were evaluated. Of these, 45 (17.5%) achieved sustained viral response (SVR). Early discontinuation of therapy occurred in 105 (40.8%) patients, of which 39 (15.2%) were due to serious adverse effects. The mortality rate among the 257 cirrhotic patients was 4.3%, occurring in 06/242 (2.4%) of the Child-A, and in 05/15 (33.3%) of the Child-B patients. In conclusion, the treatment of patients with cirrhosis due to HCV with PEG-IFN and RBV shows a low SVR rate and a high mortality, especially in patients with liver dysfunction.
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