Evaluation of the adverse effect of premature discontinuation of pegylated interferon α-2b and ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus infection: Results from Kyushu University Liver Disease Study

Background and Aims: Pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) α‐2b and ribavirin (RBV) treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with a substantially elevated risk of discontinuation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the reason for premature discontinuation during PEG‐IFN α‐2b and RBV treatment due to adverse effects in patients with chronic HCV infection. Methods: A total of 2871 Japanese patients who had chronic HCV infection treated with PEG‐IFN α‐2b and RBV were screened. We prospectively investigated the reasons for premature discontinuation of treatment classified by sex and age, and analyzed the timing of discontinuation. Results: Of the 2871 patients, 250 (8.7%) discontinued treatment because of adverse effects. The main reasons for premature discontinuation were neurovegetative symptoms (n = 77, 30.8%), depression‐related syndrome (n = 46, 18.4%), hematologic effects (n = 41, 16.4%) and dermatologic effects (n = 27, 10.8%). The rate of discontinuation of treatment for patients aged ≥ 65 years was significantly higher than for patients aged