AUD\/SUD was significant risk factor for HCC in pre-direct-acting antiviral era, and in the post-direct-acting antiviral era among those with active hepatitis C<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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THURSDAY, Dec. 11, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Mental health diseases (MHDs) are associated with an increased risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among veterans with cirrhosis, according to a study published online Nov. 29 in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Nguyen V. Pham, M.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California in Los Angeles, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study of veterans with cirrhosis to examine whether MHDs are associated with HCC incidence. The associations among incident HCC, MHDs, and hepatitis C virus (HCV) were analyzed.<\/p>\n A total of 221,721 veterans were identified, of whom 7 percent developed HCC. The researchers found that the most prevalent MHD was alcohol\/substance use disorder (AUD\/SUD; 19.6 percent), with AUD being the most common individual MHD (6.74 percent). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) improved the risk for HCC, but did not eliminate it (adjusted hazard ratios, 1.32 and 1.59 in association with HCV in the post-DAA and pre-DAA eras, respectively). In the pre-DAA era, AUD\/SUD was a significant risk for HCC (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42), and in the post-DAA era, having a diagnosis of AUD\/SUD remained significantly associated with incident HCC in a subgroup of patients with active HCV (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.98).<\/p>\n “Curing hepatitis C alone is not enough,” senior author Jihane N. Benhammou, M.D., Ph.D., also from the University of California Los Angeles, said in a statement. “The study advocates for a multidisciplinary approach where liver specialists, mental health providers and case managers work together to support veterans. Integrating mental health support into liver disease treatment is a critical step toward protecting our veterans from liver cancer.”<\/p>\n Abstract\/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)<\/a><\/p>\n