Does chemotherapy cause viral relapse in cancer patients with hepatitis C infection successfully treated with antivirals?

Abstract

Authors have reported conflicting results on the persistence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients having sustained virologic response (SVR) to treatment. Therefore, we sought to determine whether chemotherapy leads to viral relapse in 30 HCV-infected patients who had SVR before cancer diagnosis. Half of them had hematologic malignancies. Most (60%) received HCV therapy with interferon and ribavirin. Chemotherapy was started at a median of 72 months after SVR and included rituximab (27%), cyclophosphamide (23%), cisplatin (17%), or corticosteroids (37%). No patient had post-SVR viral relapse. Therapeutically induced resolution of HCV appears to be permanent and not affected by chemotherapy.

Keywords: Chemotherapy; Hepatitis C Virus; Interferon; Ribavirin; SVR.