Does Interferon-α Prevent Recurrence of Malignant Tumors in Patients with Hepatitis C–Related Liver Cancer?
Hepatitis C virus can infect the liver and, in some cases, leads to severe liver disease, including liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma). Interferon-α is a drug that decreases the chances of developing liver cancer when given to patients with hepatitis C virus infection who have not yet developed cancer. Once a person develops hepatitis C–associated liver cancer, surgery is often done to remove the cancer, but the cancer returns in 70% to 80% of patients within 5 years.
