Aa
Watch and Wait
Hello old friends and new friends. These are comments on my trip to the hepatologist last week….
My history – geno 1a , grade 1, stage 1, probably infected about 1969 -1972 (IVDU) but maybe 1977 (blood transfusion). Treated with Peg and Copeg (1200) for 56 weeks (June 05 to August 06). I had detectible virons – 40 IU/mL at week 12 – so decided to tx 36 weeks after I reached a UND by sensitive testing (week 20) but it was not enough and I did relapse after treatment ended.
I transferred from my local GI to a hepatologist in Dallas and my first visit was May 07. At that time, we decided watch and wait. I had another biopsy Dec 07 which was a little short of the 3 years, but did that for insurance purposes.
Although my bx results were faxed to the heppo, I wanted her to read the slides. Since I had not been able to get through to her medical assistant before the appointment, I signed the papers at the appointment so she will now have the slides sent to review. When she read my 2005 biopsy slides she changed the dx from a 1/1 to a stage 1, grade 1-2. My new bx was also a 1/1 so I am anxious to see how this one is re-graded. I want to know if 56 weeks of treatment did anything at all, and my reading of the reports says no.
The bottom line is watch and wait given my “mild hepatitis” as they call it. She said I have a 20% chance of becoming cirrhotic (I am 60). She said it is totally my choice to treat or not, but I need to weigh the adverse effects of treatment with the benefits to be gained by clearing. She also said the trade out my by QOL.
She does feel Telaprevir is the strongest thing on the horizon. She thinks 3 years before it will be out. I asked her about heresay that Vertex will ask for FDA approval for it to be released to relapsers before treatment naïve, and she said it is already on the expedite track and that, if anything, drugs are usually released for treatment naïve first.
I did visit with the trial coordinator who brought up papers for me to sign for the Omega Duros trial. I am not interested in that one because research shows (me) that omega interferon does not have as high a SVR rate as interferon Alpha 2a & 2b. So I didn’t think the injection method (an implant in the arm that releases interferon over a steady rate for months) would be enough to counteract the inadequacies of the Omega interferon.
I am scheduled to come back for the Hepatitis C Clinic to sign up for the next Telaprevir study for nonresponders maybe in the fall. It will depend on what Vertex’s definition of non-responder is and whether that includes relapsers. But again, the heppo want me to think of the cost and time versus benefits. Weekly flights to Dallas for first mo, then maybe monthly, and quarterly. Lots of time off work and travel expense.
So that’s it, my friends. I shall remain a fly on the wall for now.
frijole
My history – geno 1a , grade 1, stage 1, probably infected about 1969 -1972 (IVDU) but maybe 1977 (blood transfusion). Treated with Peg and Copeg (1200) for 56 weeks (June 05 to August 06). I had detectible virons – 40 IU/mL at week 12 – so decided to tx 36 weeks after I reached a UND by sensitive testing (week 20) but it was not enough and I did relapse after treatment ended.
I transferred from my local GI to a hepatologist in Dallas and my first visit was May 07. At that time, we decided watch and wait. I had another biopsy Dec 07 which was a little short of the 3 years, but did that for insurance purposes.
Although my bx results were faxed to the heppo, I wanted her to read the slides. Since I had not been able to get through to her medical assistant before the appointment, I signed the papers at the appointment so she will now have the slides sent to review. When she read my 2005 biopsy slides she changed the dx from a 1/1 to a stage 1, grade 1-2. My new bx was also a 1/1 so I am anxious to see how this one is re-graded. I want to know if 56 weeks of treatment did anything at all, and my reading of the reports says no.
The bottom line is watch and wait given my “mild hepatitis” as they call it. She said I have a 20% chance of becoming cirrhotic (I am 60). She said it is totally my choice to treat or not, but I need to weigh the adverse effects of treatment with the benefits to be gained by clearing. She also said the trade out my by QOL.
She does feel Telaprevir is the strongest thing on the horizon. She thinks 3 years before it will be out. I asked her about heresay that Vertex will ask for FDA approval for it to be released to relapsers before treatment naïve, and she said it is already on the expedite track and that, if anything, drugs are usually released for treatment naïve first.
I did visit with the trial coordinator who brought up papers for me to sign for the Omega Duros trial. I am not interested in that one because research shows (me) that omega interferon does not have as high a SVR rate as interferon Alpha 2a & 2b. So I didn’t think the injection method (an implant in the arm that releases interferon over a steady rate for months) would be enough to counteract the inadequacies of the Omega interferon.
I am scheduled to come back for the Hepatitis C Clinic to sign up for the next Telaprevir study for nonresponders maybe in the fall. It will depend on what Vertex’s definition of non-responder is and whether that includes relapsers. But again, the heppo want me to think of the cost and time versus benefits. Weekly flights to Dallas for first mo, then maybe monthly, and quarterly. Lots of time off work and travel expense.
So that’s it, my friends. I shall remain a fly on the wall for now.
frijole
LOL when have you EVER been a fly on the wall my dear friend? :)
Re the hep - how are you FEELING?
Re the hep - how are you FEELING?
Hey canman
Then again, my horiscope today said I should do something about that fatique......... (how do they know?????)
bean
Then again, my horiscope today said I should do something about that fatique......... (how do they know?????)
bean
I shall remain a fly on the wall
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You can be a fly on the wall at my house all you want girl, i won't swat ya. Great that you can wait on re treating, saw you wave on your fly over i waved back at you.
Keep counting those beans girl....
candyman has some icecream
---------------------------------------------------
You can be a fly on the wall at my house all you want girl, i won't swat ya. Great that you can wait on re treating, saw you wave on your fly over i waved back at you.
Keep counting those beans girl....
candyman has some icecream
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