Experience in CHB patients with advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis: in a placebo-controlled study in 651 patients with clinically compensated chronic hepatitis B and histologically confirmed fibrosis or cirrhosis, lamivudine treatment (median duration 32 months) significantly reduced the rate of overall disease progression (34/ 436, 7.8% for lamivudine versus 38/ 215, 17.7% for placebo, p=0.001), demonstrated by a significant reduction in the proportion of patients having increased Child-Pugh scores (15/ 436, 3.4% versus 19/ 215, 8.8%, p=0.023) or developing hepatocellular carcinoma (17/ 436, 3.9% versus 16/ 215, 7.4%, p=0.047).