hcc screening during treatment

[rexx73]

hello ,

does anybody know if your a-fetoprotein is de or increasing while you treat with the triple therapy?

next friday i will start my treatment and my last hcc screening was in june, so i wonder if i have to get a date for the next sreen before start the therapy?

thanks

[HectorSF]

No problem.

Good luck!
Hector

[rexx73]

hector you are amazing,thank you very much for this detailed stuff.

regards

[HectorSF]

Hi rex.

Everything you ever wanted to know about Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) from the hepatologist point of view. Including HCC surveillance guidelines.

American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)
"HCC Practice Guidelines 2010 Update"

http://www.aasld.org/practiceguidelines/Documents/Bookmarked%20practice%20Guidelines/Hccupdate2010.pdf

Also here is the link to the latest guidelines for the treatment of hepatitis C genotype 1 including the use of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents.

http://www.aasld.org/practiceguidelines/Documents/2011UpdateGenotype1HCVbyAASLD24641.pdf
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The European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) is still working on their guidelines for management of HCC.


Cheers!
Hector

[rexx73]

thank you for the explaination.

i wish you really all the best.

[HectorSF]

Your hepatologist knows best. I would think they would order a scan before treatment.

There is no symptoms or pain from HCC (primary liver cancer) until it is too late (stage 4 tumor). That is one reason it is so fatal. When is was learned, over the past 10 years that patients could survive if the cancer was detected early, surveillance was adopted. That is why surveillance every 6 months for those with an increased chance of developing HCC is done. It like so many cancers, primary liver cancer needs to be detected early in order for the patient to have the best chance of survival. For those of us with liver damage caused by hepatitis C, surveillance is only performed for those of us with stage 4 cirrhosis.

My current HCC tumor has been diagnosed by the tumor board at the transplant center using two MRIs using the appropriate protocols for detecting HCC. My tumor is now at stage II. Stage II is what you need to get exception points to move up the transplant list, as in time liver cancer is terminal and transplant is the only cure. I will be having localized chemo treatment to reduce the size of the 1"+ in about a week. Note the treatment do not cure the patient but is used to "bridge to transplant".

Make sense?
Hector

[rexx73]

I have ultrasound every 6 months,since I had a f3 in biopsy 2008.
My doc is a hepatologist and he thinks its better to check every 6 months.
May I ask if you  felt some pain or syptoms before they found out you have hcc,or was that just based on the lab imaging results?
thanks a lot

[HectorSF]

From what I recall, you do not have stage 4 cirrhosis so why is any doctor performing surveillance for HCC? Is this a gastroenterologist or hepatologist? You have no increased chance of developing HCC (primary liver cancer).

AFP can be elevated in persons with hepatitis C. AFP can vary with viral activity but is not going to double or increase into the hundreds because of treatment.

NOTE: AFP is not used to diagnose HCC. It is used in combination with imaging to assist in diagnosing HCC.

Good luck with your treatment!
Hector