A qualitative exploration of enablers for hepatitis B clinical management among ethnic Chinese in Australia.

An estimated 18% of people living with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Australia were born in China. While guideline-based care, including regular clinical monitoring and timely treatment, prevent CHB-related cirrhosis, cancer and deaths, over three-quarters of people with CHB do not receive guideline-based care in Australia. This qualitative study aimed to identify enablers to engagement in CHB clinical management among ethnic Chinese people attending specialist care. Participants self-identified as of Chinese ethnicity and who attended specialist care for CHB clinical management were interviewed in Melbourne in 2019 (n = 30). Semi-structured interviews covered experiences of diagnosis and engagement in clinical management services, and advice for people living with CHB. Interviews were recorded with consent; data were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Receiving clear information about the availability of treatment and/or the necessity of long-term clinical management were the main enablers for participants to engage in CHB clinical management. Additional enablers identified to maintain regular clinical monitoring included understanding CHB increases risks of cirrhosis and liver cancer, using viral load indicators to visualize disease status in patient-doctor communication; expectations from family, peer group and medical professionals; use of a patient recall system; availability of interpreters or multilingual doctors; and largely subsidized healthcare services. In conclusion, to support people attending clinical management for CHB, a holistic response from community, healthcare providers and the public health sector is required. There are needs for public health programmes directed to communicate (i) CHB-related complications; (ii) availability of effective and cheap treatment; and that (iii) long-term engagement with clinical management and its benefits.

Practical Dietary Recommendations for the Prevention and Management of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Adults.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide. In the absence of effective pharmacotherapies, clinical guidelines focus primarily on weight loss to treat this condition. Established consensus, evidence-based, and clinical dietary recommendations for NAFLD are currently lacking. The aim of this paper is to provide evidence-based practical dietary recommendations for the prevention and management of NAFLD in adults. A literature review focusing on established principles for the development of clinical practice recommendations was employed using the following criteria: based on substantial evidence, ensures risk minimization, is flexible for an individual patient approach, and is open to further modification as evidence emerges. The Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition classification system was used to grade these principles. Five key dietary recommendations were developed: 1) follow traditional dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet; 2) limit excess fructose consumption and avoid processed foods and beverages with added fructose; 3) PUFAs, especially long-chain omega-3 rich foods and MUFAs, should replace SFAs in the diet; 4) replace processed food, fast food, commercial bakery goods, and sweets with unprocessed foods high in fiber, including whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds; and 5) avoid excess alcohol consumption. Improving diet quality may reduce the incidence and progression of NAFLD and associated risk factors. Many of the benefits are likely to result from the collective effect of dietary patterns. High-quality research-in particular, randomized clinical trials assessing dietary interventions that focus on liver-specific endpoints-are needed as a priority.

Sorafenib in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-centre real-world study.

OBJECTIVE: Sorafenib is an oral multikinase inhibitor that improves survival in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the absence of alternative therapies, sorafenib is often continued despite advancing liver disease or tumour progression. Real world studies are important to better characterise outcomes in these populations. Our aim was to review patterns of sorafenib use across eight Australian tertiary hospitals, defining variables associated with clinical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of medical records of 320 patients treated with sorafenib for HCC. Baseline clinical parameters, dosage, adverse effects, and survival from initiation of treatment were collected. Time to radiological progression and 3-month alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were available for a subset of patients. RESULTS: Adverse effects occurred in 79% of patients, requiring dose reduction in 31% of patients. Multivariate analysis identified an increased rate of mortality with Child-Pugh C (HR 5.52, p = 0.012), ECOG performance status 2-3 (HR 2.84, p = 0.001), and extrahepatic metastases (HR 1.54, p = 0.04), and decreased rate of mortality with an AFP reduction of at least 20% at 3 months (HR 0.38, p = 0.001). An increased rate of radiological progression was associated with ECOG performance status 2-3 (HR 2.34, p = 0.041), whilst a decreased rate of radiological progression was associated with development of on-treatment diarrhoea (HR 0.55, p = 0.015). CONCLUSIONS: Survival in patients with Child-Pugh C liver function or advanced functional impairment treated with sorafenib is poor and thus routine use of this agent in these patients does not appear justified, particularly given the high rate of adverse effects. AFP concentration on therapy may help identify favourable response to treatment.