Evaluation of Antiviral Therapy Performed after Curative Therapy in Patients with HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Updated Meta-Analysis

Background. The long-term prognosis after curative therapy for hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unsatisfactory due to the high incidence of recurrence. The effect of treatment with nucleotide analogues (NAs) in patients with HBV-related HCC after curative therapy remains unclear. Objective. To assess the impact of using NAs after curative therapy. Method. A computerized literature search was performed; eligible studies were identified from databases. The pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs were calculated using Review Manager 5.3. Result. The meta-analysis included a total of 15 studies with 8060 patients. The one-year and three-year recurrence (one-year recurrence: RR 0.41 [95% CI 0.28 to 0.61]; P < 0.00001; three-year recurrence: RR 0.63 [95% CI 0.43 to 0.94]; P = 0.001) and the one-, three-, and five-year overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were significantly better in the treatment group. Conclusion. NAs can reduce the recurrence and improve the prognosis of HBV-related HCC after curative therapy.