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Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection typically undergo surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) indefinitely. Is such long-term surveillance necessary in the few patients who achieve hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance?
To answer this question, investigators assessed the incidence of HCC among 35 HBV patients (24 men; 25 Asian) who achieved HBsAg seroclearance at a community-based liver clinic (median follow-up, 185 months; range, 27–400 months). Seventeen patients had a family history of HCC, 13 patients had cirrhosis, 14 patients had undergone HBV treatment, and 2 patients were coinfected with hepatitis C virus. Surveillance of HBV patients included liver testing every 3 to 12 months and HCC screenin…