Use of serum hepatitis B viral DNA in prognostication of patients undergoing non-surgical therapy for liver cancer.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Hong Kong. The HBV mediates hepatocarcinogenesis via its direct oncogenic effects and/or indirect mechanism of cirrhotic damage to the liver. Viral load is monitored by serum HBV DNA during treatment of chronic HBV infection; the HBV DNA level in serum is associated with risk of HCC development.1 The clinical impact of viral load on the outcome of patients with malignancy remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to validate the prognostic impact of baseline serum HBV DNA in patients with inoperable HCC undergoing nonsurgical therapy. In addition, the impact of antiviral therapy on HBV viral load during treatment of HCC was evaluated.