IFNA1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: With all the caveats related to the retrospective design, the relatively small sample size and marked heterogeneous population (different stage of disease, duration of follow-up, type of IFNα and schedule treatment) that limit their applicability, all the studies support a role for a SVR in reducing the incidence of liver decompensation (i.e. ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and gastrointestinal bleeding), the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver-related deaths.