Do statins reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B?

Abstract

In subjects with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), the lifetime risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is estimated to be 25-37 times compared to non-infected subjects. The process of hepatocarcinogenesis is complex and involves well-documented host, viral, and environmental risk factors. The most important risks include host factors such as older age, male gender, the presence of cirrhosis, and viral factors such as the viral load, genotype, and the presence of basal core promoter mutations. To date, antiviral therapy is the only intervention demonstrated to significantly reduce the risk of HCC development in CHB patients. Although oxidative stress has been implicated in cancer development, there is no established benefit shown from treatment with antioxidizing agents such as silymarin, green tea, and vitamin E.