Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Factors Associated With Underutilization of Antiviral Therapy in Preventing Hepatitis B Virus-Related Hepatocellular
Jia-Ling Wu1, Ying-Nan Tsai2,3, Cheng-Hao Tseng2,3
1Department of Public Health, National Cheng Kung University, College of Medicine, Tainan, Taiwan.
Background:
Deaths from hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are projected to increase through 2030. Underutilisation of antiviral therapy may contribute to this concerning trend but empirical data remain sparse.
Aims:
We aimed to assess the frequency of missed opportunities for antiviral therapy before HBV-related HCC development and to investigate factors associated with non-treatment.
Methods:
We analysed the electronic medical records from a large healthcare group in Taiwan to identify all HBV-infected patients who developed HCC between 1 April 2004 and 24 May 2022. HBV infection was confirmed by hepatitis B surface antigen seropositivity and incident HCC was verified through the cancer registry. Patients were grouped based on whether they had received antiviral therapy prior to the HCC diagnosis.
Results:
Among 1017 patients with HBV-related HCC (median age, 60.8 years; 80.1% male; 42.9% with cirrhosis), 75% had not received antiviral therapy before developing HCC. Compared to treated patients, the untreated group had a significantly lower proportion of cirrhosis (33.5% vs. 71.0%), higher platelet counts, elevated liver enzyme levels, and higher viral loads. They also had significantly fewer specialist visits (median frequency, 0.3 vs. 3.6 visits per year) and biomarker evaluations, and were less frequently diagnosed at early stages (Stage I/II, 49.5% vs. 81.6%) with a significantly shorter median survival (2.1 vs. 4.4 years).
Conclusion:
Three-quarters of patients who developed HBV-related HCC had not received antiviral therapy before HCC diagnosis. These patients were characterised by a lower proportion of cirrhosis, infrequent clinical visits, fewer HBV evaluations, more advanced HCC stage, and poorer prognosis.
More Related Videos
11:34A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target
Published on: May 10, 2022
10:37Analysis of HBV-Specific CD4 T-cell Responses and Identification of HLA-DR-Restricted CD4 T-Cell Epitopes Based on a Peptide Matrix
Published on: October 20, 2021
Related Concept Videos
01:16Hepatic Drug Excretion: Influencing Factors
01:51Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers
01:10Retrovirus Life Cycles
01:19Factors Affecting Drug Biotransformation: Biological
Species differences: Variations in enzyme systems across species can cause disparities in drug metabolism. For instance, humans may metabolize certain drugs faster than rodents, altering therapeutic effects.
Strain differences: Genetic variations within a species can result in differing enzyme activity, impacting drug response and toxicity. For example, some mouse strains may...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:29Pulmonary Tuberculosis I
Causative Organism
The primary infectious agent causing tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a slow-growing, acid-fast, aerobic rod that exhibits sensitivity to heat and ultraviolet light. Instances of Mycobacterium bovis and Mycobacterium avium contributing to the development of TB infection are rare.
Mode of...