The use of hepatitis C virus (HCV) regimens including Gilead Sciences’ Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) is safe and effective among people with various types of cancer, Healio reports. What’s more, such treatment is linked to remission of non–Hodgkin lymphoma.

Publishing their findings in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, researchers enrolled 153 people with HCV and cancer in a study of Sovaldi-based treatment for the virus. Twelve of these individuals were ultimately excluded from the study because they stopped HCV treatment.

The top cancers among the participants were hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, the most common form of liver cancer, seen in 18 percent of the group), multiple myeloma (9 percent) and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (7 percent).

The study group was treated with Sovaldi; Daklinza (daclatasvir) plus Sovaldi; Olysio (simpevir) plus Sovaldi; Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir); or Epclusa (sofosbuvir/velpatasvir).

Ninety-one percent of the participants achieved a sustained virologic response 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12, considered a cure).

Six months after completing HCV treatment, two people with indolent B-cell non–Hodgkin lymphoma were cured of the virus and experienced complete remission of the cancer. Two other people who fell into this category were cured of hep C and had a stable case of the lymphoma; another was cured of the virus and eventually went from having stable lymphoma to experiencing a partial remission following cancer treatment; and one other was cured of HCV but experienced recurrence of lymphoma.

The adverse health events the participants experienced while on HCV treatment were similar to those seen among people without cancer.

To read the Healio article, click here.

To read the study abstract, click here.