Retrospective study evaluating association of colorectal tumors and hepatitis C virus

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been associated with hepatic and extrahepatic malignancies. Limited studies have shown an association between colorectal adenomas and HCV populations.

To study the prevalence of colorectal adenomas in patients with HCV compared to the general population and to evaluate if it is an independent risk factor for colorectal adenomas.

Patients were divided into HCV and non-HCV based on their HCV RNA titers. Patients with alcoholic liver disease, hepatitis B infection, and inflammatory bowel disease were excluded. Continuous variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test, and categorical variables using χ ² with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. The significant covariates (independent variables) were matched in both groups by propensity score matching, followed by multivariate regression analysis.

Of the 415 patients screened, 109 HCV patients and 97 non-HCV patients with colonoscopy results were included in the study. HCV patients were older, had a smoking history, had less frequent aspirin use, and had a lower body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.05). The HCV cohort had a significantly increased number of patients with adenomas (adenoma detection rate of 53.2% vs 34%. P = 0.006). We performed a propensity-matched multivariate analysis where HCV infection was significantly associated with colorectal adenoma (OR: 2.070, P = 0.019).

Our study shows a significantly higher rate of adenomas in HCV patients compared to the general population. Prospective studies would help determine if the increase in adenoma detection lowers the risk for colorectal cancer.