Long Term Outlook

[pjhep80]

im wondering if anyone on here has been infected for like 40-50 years and what stage/grade... i have always heard that something like only 20% infected go on to liver failure but is this data based people infected 20-30 years ago or what?  what are the stats on people infected 40 years and beyond?

im infected 28 years or so, grade 2/stage 2

please add your stats to this thread thanks!!

[pjhep80]

thanks so much for replying i think this thread is really showing how different this virus is for everyone... keep it coming!!!

im much encouraged here about waiting a bit, i was infected young, between 18-21 yrs old, im 46 now stage 2/grade 2 and i bet i would be stage 0 or 1 if i had not drank so much for the last 20 years or so lol ...  now that im not drinking  , eating right, lots of water, milk thistle, etc i think i have some time to wait for better tx, find out what the dr thinks on the 13th ... and i am going to get another biopsy soon, its been 4 years

[apache1]

38 years for me. Geno 2b
fibroscan showed 6.8
On tx,  my 13th week of 24

Probably middle of the road fibrosis, but
imo without an accurate laprascopic bx you really do not know for sure what your liver damage is unless symptoms or your blood work, ultrasound, etc, is showing signs of cirrhosis.

apache

[Trinity4]

"If I thought I was between stage 2 and 3 would not have treated when I did and probably still would not have."

I don't like the number 3 in any staging of liver disease whether it's on the low side or the
high side.  Sixty five isn't always the magic bullet number when cirrohois begins.  An inaccurate liver biopsy result can also be given indicating a lesser stage of damage than actually exits.  We know this happens too.  

[jmjm530]

Just want to add that being female (you not me LOL) is also associated with slower fibrosis progression, along with being infected at a young age.

[jmjm530]

Time of infection to treatment around 37 years.

Best guestimate after having four unafiliated pathologists read my  biopsy slides is that I was between stage 2 and 3 when I started treatment, possibly closer to stage 3 with bridging not fully mature.
FWIW I made a treatment decision based on what a previous hepatologist incorrectly told me, i.e. that I was between stage 3 and 4. This was not even accurate per his pathologist's report, and I now wonder if he was either ignorant, sloppy or just loose with the facts to scare me into treatment. There is also the possiblity that I didn't interpret properly what he told me as I knew almost nothing about staging back then.
If I thought I was between stage 2 and 3 would not have treated when I did and probably still would not have.

In any event, SVR after 52 weeks of combo. Studies show that being infected at a younger age shows both slower progression and also positive predictor of SVR, or at least one of them, have to double-check.

They also show that stage 4 (cirrhosis) tends to hit many of us around age 65 regardless of age infected. So, if you don't want to treat make sure to have your liver monitored on a regular basis and even more frequently as you head toward 65.

-- Jim

[eureka254]

My husband's infection most likely is about 40 years.  He is Geno 1, currently Stage 4 cirrhosis (and may have been for some years unbeknownst to us).
He was in the unfortunate 5-10% who contracted liver cancer as a result of his hep c, but was one of the few lucky enough to have it surgically removed.  He is currently treating, having just started yesterday, in hopes of preventing his Score A cirrhosis (compensated) from progressing to Score C (end-stage).