Hep C treatment - post radiation

[jonij]

Hello folks,
I've been creeping around the edges of this forum and not actually participating due in large to my denial I suppose. I finished high dose radiation and AM feeling better, though still not like myself (weight loss, lack of energy, etc) When visiting my gastro last week to set up a colonscopy (mother died at 63 of colon cancer) he explained to me that there is now a new treatment option for 1A Hep C (something with three meds), where five years ago he didn't think the treatment was worth the risk. He has scheduled both the colonscopyy and a liver biopsy a few weeks later. I'm a single mother of two teenage boys and feel like I just can put them through anymore of me being sick and cranky, not to mention I have to work. I guess my questions are: 1. Is this treatment actually showing any "long-term" eradication of the virus? My viral count has stayed around 2 million for many years, i rarely drink alcohol, am almost 50. If my biopsy is good can treatment be put off five years of so?? I just feel like I can't do another debilitating treatment if I don't have to have it or if the odds are still low for success. Any thoughts or answers would be much appreciated.

[JasmineT]

A liver biopsy will help you determine whether you can wait or not.  Your boys want to have a mother for many years to come and you want to be there for them.  You can make this happen but you need to manage the risk hep c brings into your life.  Hep c is a silent killer so you really need to know the state of your liver to determine if you can wait.  If you decide not to treat you need to monitor for damage because there may be a point where you have no option.  I have seen posts and articles indicating the more damage the worse the odds get for cure and the older you get the faster the damage rate.

There are now good odds you can treat and cure but there are also newer easier drugs in testing now.  The biopsy is not painful and will help you in your decision on whether you can wait.  Talk to your doctor, research the  incivek (teleprevir)and victrelis (boceprevir) trials and treatment options.  Research the new all oral trials. Talk to your doctor after you get the biopsy results and then ask your questions again with more information.

[willbb]

1. Is this treatment actually showing any "long-term" eradication of the virus? My viral count has stayed around 2 million for many years, i rarely drink alcohol, am almost 50. If my biopsy is good can treatment be put off five years of so??
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Hi..

You have asked a few questions here. yes treatment today is showing approx 70 -80 %(depending on varying factors) chance of success for all genotypes

As OH has mentioned the level of your viral load fluctuates greatly even on a daily basis and means nothing as it pertains to amount of liver damage (fibrosis) that may be happening

When to treat is always a personal desicion that should be thoroughly discussed with a physician that is familiar with your health as well as the paradigms of HCV and it's treatment.

To address you question  can I wait 5 years ....If you have "no " or "minimal" liver damage then most probably waithing that amount of time would not adversely affectyou, however if the damage is more severe  you may want to consider therapy before the liver is very severely damaged..

Best to you and welcome to the group

Will

[orphanedhawk]

Sounds like you've already been through a lot.
You're right it would be hard to do tx with two teenagers at home.

Unfortunately hep C is indiscriminate. Yes, alcohol can make it worse but hep C can destroy the liver of the otherwise healthiest person, or not.

Your viral count is not relevant. I'm really tired of saying this but viral load does not equal liver damage. I had ESLD and a viral load of only 750,000.
So forget the numbers.

The biopsy will be the determining factor about whether you should do tx now or wait. Hopefully, you can wait for a few years, for better treatment options.

Please read this link:
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/HCV-Patients-May-Be-Able-to-Delay-Therapy/show/1762794

Wishing you the best of luck~