The progress and prospects of routine prophylactic antiviral treatment in hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma

• Antiviral treatment is an important adjuvant therapy in HCC treatments.
• Antiviral treatment is a feasible and effective strategy to prevent HCC in viral hepatitis patients.
• Antiviral treatment can increase the survival rate as well as the quality of life of hepatitis B-related HCC patients.
• Prophylactic antiviral treatment should be routinely performed as an important adjuvant therapy in HBV-related HCC patients.

Liver cancer is a common cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Among all types of primary liver cancers, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the major histological subtype, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of HCC. Treatments for hepatitis B related HCC include hepatectomy, liver transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), ablative therapy, and Sorafenib treatment. However, HBV reactivation can occur in patients who receive these treatments, resulting in poor clinical outcomes. However, prophylactic antiviral treatment in patients with hepatitis B-related HCC, can reduce the copies of HBV DNA, prevent HBV reactivation, reduce hepatic inflammation, reverse liver fibrosis, decrease tumor recurrence and metastasis, and extend survival time. Prophylactic antiviral treatment should be routinely performed as an important adjuvant therapy in HBV-related HCC patients.