Prognosis of late elderly patients with chronic hepatitis C after achieving a sustained viral response by direct‐acting antivirals

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We investigated the prognosis of late elderly patients (≥75 years old) after the achievement of a sustained viral response (SVR) by direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs). METHODS: One hundred and four late elderly patients and 251 young patients (≤74 years old) who had achieved an SVR were included. We compared the cumulative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence rates and survival rates after DAA administration. Furthermore, the factors associated with HCC incidence and the causes of death after DAA administration were also investigated. RESULTS: The cumulative HCC incidence rates for 1 and 3 years were 2.9% and 11.7% in the late elderly patients and 2.4% and 5.4% in the young patients, respectively. The cumulative survival rates for 1 and 3 years were 100% and 95.6% in the late elderly patients and 100% and 96.4% in the young patients, respectively, with no significant differences in those rates noted (P = 0.133, P = 0.322, respectively). In the late elderly patients, only a history of HCC was a significant factor associated with HCC incidence after DAA administration. Five late elderly patients died after achieving an SVR, and malignant liver tumor was the cause of death in three of those patients. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis did not differ markedly between late elderly patients and young patients. The factor most strongly influencing the prognosis of late elderly patients was likely liver disease, including HCC. DAAs should be introduced even in late elderly patients who can be expected to have a relative long‐term survival.