OncoTargets and Therapy (Nov 2016)

Adefovir dipivoxil is less expensive than lamivudine and associated with similar prognosis in patients with hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma after radical resection

  • Zhong JH,
  • Ke Y,
  • Zhu SL,
  • Wang L,
  • Luo CP,
  • Gong WF,
  • You XM,
  • Ma L,
  • Xiang BD,
  • Li LQ

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 9
pp. 6897 – 6907

Abstract

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Jian-Hong Zhong,1,* Yang Ke,1,2,* Shao-Liang Zhu,1,* Lin Wang,2 Cheng-Piao Luo,3 Wen-Feng Gong,1 Xue-Mei You,1 Liang Ma,1 Bang-De Xiang,1 Le-Qun Li1 1Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 2Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, 3Department of Pathology, Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Aim: Lamivudine (LAM) and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV) are widely used in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but few studies have directly compared their therapeutic efficacy and treatment cost. This study aims to compare LAM with ADV head-to-head in these patients. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 201 patients with HBV-related HCC who underwent radical resection and subsequently received LAM (n=155) or ADV (n=46). The two groups were compared in terms of HBV-DNA levels, liver function, antiviral resistance, recurrence-free, and overall survival, as well as antiviral medication costs. Results: Despite significant improvement in HBV-DNA and alanine aminotransferase level in the LAM group after 1 year of antiviral therapy, these parameters did not differ significantly between the two groups over the following 2 years. Incidence of antiviral resistance after 1, 2, and 3 years of antiviral treatment was significantly higher in the LAM group (19.5%, 45.7%, and 56.4%) than in the ADV group (0%, 3.3%, and 14.5%; P<0.001). Overall survival at 1, 2, and 3 years after resection was similar for the LAM group (84.5%, 69.3%, and 64.6%) and the ADV group (84.1%, 77.8%, and 63.4%; P=0.905). Recurrence-free survival at the three follow-up points was also similar for the LAM group (71.7%, 58.3%, and 43.9%) and the ADV group (81.1%, 66.1%, and 53.0%; P=0.452). Cox regression analysis confirmed that both nucleos(t)ide analogues were associated with similar overall and recurrence-free survival. However, the average medication costs after 1, 2, and 3 years of antiviral treatment were significantly higher in the LAM group (€3.0, €4.8, and €5.6 per person per day) than in the ADV group (€2.2, €2.4, and €3.1 per person per day; all P<0.05). Conclusion: ADV and LAM are associated with similar survival benefit in patients with HBV-related HCC after radical resection, but ADV is more cost-effective. Keywords: adefovir dipivoxil, hepatitis B virus, hepatocellular carcinoma, lamivudine, radical resection

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