New oral anticoagulants and hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with HBV, HCV, and alcoholic liver diseases: a nationwide cohort study.

Authors

Yu-Wen Su, Yu-Hsuan Pai, Yao-Min Hung, Fuu-Jen Tsai, Renin Chang, Sung-Shuo Kao

Published in

Hepatology international. Jul 07, 2026. Epub Jul 07, 2026.

Abstract

Coagulation pathways are increasingly recognized as an influencer of tumor development. Experimental evidence suggests that commonly used anticoagulants, including warfarin and non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs), may exhibit anti-tumor effects.
To examine the association between NOAC use and the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with chronic liver diseases due to hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) or alcoholic liver disease (ALD).
Retrospective population-based cohort study.
Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 2012-2021.
Adults with HBV, HCV, or ALD who initiated NOAC or warfarin therapy for at least 28 consecutive days and had no prior cancer diagnosis.
Use of rivaroxaban, dabigatran, apixaban, or edoxaban vs. warfarin.
The primary outcome was new-onset HCC, ascertained via national catastrophic illness certification. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models with propensity score matching.
Among 29,332 matched patients, including 14,666 NOAC users and 14,666 warfarin users, NOAC use was associated with a significantly lower risk of HCC (aHR, 0.47; 95% CI 0.26-0.85; p = 0.013), which remained significant in the time-dependent model. The risk reduction was evident in patients with HCV infection and alcoholic liver disease, but not in those with HBV infection. Among individual NOACs, rivaroxaban and dabigatran were associated with a significantly lower risk of HCC.
Potential residual confounding; unavailable laboratory-based indicators of liver disease severity and viral activity; lack of dosage and adherence analyses.
NOAC prescription was associated with a reduced risk of HCC compared with warfarin, although associations may vary across liver disease etiologies. Prospective studies are warranted to validate these findings.

PMID:
42412361
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 07 Jul 2026.

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