Hepatitis C Management

Ask The Experts

Question:

What causes focal lesions in patients with hepatitis C and cirrhosis? What are the methods of management?

These patients may have all the usual (benign and malignant) focal lesions that other patients have. Having hepatitis C infection and cirrhosis represents an increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, 3% to 4% per year. These lesions are best treated with early diagnosis, but liver transplantation is the only curative option. Resection can be curative for one lesion, but the disease is usually multifocal. Palliative options include alcohol injection, chemoembolization, cryosurgery, radiofrequency ablation, and others. Liver transplantation is the best management option for these patients.

For more information, see the section on screening for liver cancer in the Hepatitis C Management monograph.