Long-Term Clinical Outcomes After Eradication of HCV Infection with Direct-Acting Antiviral Therapy

Although direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are effective in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the long-term benefits are unclear. Furthermore, there has been some controversy over whether DAA therapy actually increases the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

In this long-term prospective cohort study, investigators enrolled 9900 HCV-infected patients from 23 hepatology clinics throughout France. Patients who previously received treatment with interferon-based therapies, had a history of HCC or decompensated cirrhosis, or had received a liver transplant were excluded. Outcomes included development of hepatic decompensation, HCC, and all-cause mortality.

Among the 9900 participants, 7344 received DAA therapy while 2…