Fibroscan 10.2 kPa

[NLioan]

Hello,

I was diagnosticated with VHB few months ago, (probably from birth) and i did fibroscan with this results:

Stiffness: 10.2 kPa, iqr 0.7, cs 9.8 ( F3, i suppose ). How bad is this result ? I am going to chirossis soon ?

Thanks in advance.

[HectorSF]

From my experience with hepatitis C, not hep B, and liver disease I know that milk thistle has been shown to have no effect on liver disease.  Heptech and other so-called "treatments" for liver disease to put it as politely as I can are outright scams to take people's money.

I have known people the have tried these "miracles" but I have never a single case of improvement. In fact I have seen a number of people who put their hope in these "treatments" and didn't pursue proper medical treatment and they all have had bad outcomes. Some I have seen die from their liver disease because they neglected proper treatment. Yes, it was their choice as an adult, but to see someone die needlessly is terrible in my opinion.

I would recommend to anyone with liver disease to get the best care possible. Liver disease for some of us can be a life-threatening disease. So I believe that if your life could be a stake because of a disease you don't want even second best, never mind some worthless snake oil which in some cases can cause additional harm to the liver.

I would recommend for anyone who can to get care at their local liver transplant center. This is were the experts in liver disease work and who are familiar with all of the latest develops in the care of liver disease and the diseases that cause it. Including hepatitis B.

I just met a young man only 39 with a wife and two young children who had hep B and did all of the right things yet developed liver cancer and is now terminal. Maybe if he had been seen at a transplant center's hepatitis clinic things could have been different with better surveillance. No one can say for sure. But from my experience with liver disease seeing the impact it has had on my life and the lives of so many other people it is not something to gamble with.

If you are not being seen by a hepatitis clinic at a hospital that has a liver transplant center the best advice I can give to you or anybody for that matter, is to seek out help for your liver disease there. Even if for just a second opinion.  A second opinion can be a life-saving move. There may be other things that you are not aware of that you can do to manage your liver disease and that is certainly worth a lot. "Priceless" as the old ad use to say.

I hope this helps.
Hector

[chihep]

Thank you for information. I am taking entecavir. Starting milk thistle. My gastroenterologist would not recommend alternatives. I am wondering if I take Heptech. What is your suggestion based on your experience?

[HectorSF]

You care correct, FicroScan is not available everywhere as yet, but luckily it is becoming more commonly available as time goes on.

From what I have read in the medical literature Fibrosure test has an overall accuracy of about 85%-90% and is still less accurate than a liver biopsy.
NOTE: "For patients with chronic hepatitis B infection (HBV) FibroTest has suboptimal accuracy in the detection of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. It is necessary to further improve the test or combine it with other noninvasive modalities in order to improve accuracy."
Am J Gastroenterol. 2014 Jun;109(6):796-809. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2014.21. Epub 2014 Feb 18. FibroTest/Fibrosure for significant liver fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B: a meta-analysis.

All of my personal medical experience with liver disease was done at a liver transplant center while already having cirrhosis. So diagnosing the stage of my liver disease was a forgone conclusion. As I had many obvious signs of my cirrhosis at that time. Fatigue, spider veins, enlarged spleen and other complications.

F3 and lesser liver disease is not so easy to stage and requires testing to stage the disease. In the "old days" before FibroScan, most people including me had a least one biopsy to confirmed their diagnosis.

The most important thing is for you to see a gastroenterologist or hepatologist to learn if there is anything you can do now to slow down or stop your liver disease from progressing to cirrhosis (F4). Remember due to variations in the testing you could be close to having stage 4, cirrhosis. Once you develop cirrhosis everything is more difficult to deal with after that point and other health risks go along with cirrhosis including an increased risk of developing liver cancer. Something you never want to have to deal with if you can avoid it.

I hope this helps.
Hector

[chihep]

Fibroscan is not available here. My Fibrosure score is 0.61, stage F3, diagnosed cirrhosis. How reliable the Fibrosure test? Any experience to share?

[HectorSF]

You should at least find out from a doctor (a gastroenterologist if possible or an infectious disease doctor) whether you need to be treated or not.

Here are some of the basics about hep B you should know.

"Not all people chronically infected with hepatitis B need treatment. However, if your blood levels of ALT are elevated ongoing liver damage may be occurring. Treatment with either Lamivudine, Adefovir or Entecavir (a pill taken once a day) or a course of interferon shots may be appropriate in this situation. These are the only four US FDA-approved pills for chronic hepatitis B. Appropriate management can reduce the risk of further liver damage and liver cancer.

People chronically infected with hepatitis B can enjoy completely normal lives, but need to take some necessary precautions to avoid further liver damage.

*   Get the hepatitis A vaccine.
*    Avoid drinking alcohol.
*    Do not share toothbrushes, razors, injection or tattoo needles to avoid transmitting HepB to others because they may be tainted with blood.
*    Ensure that all members of your household are tested and vaccinated for hep B if they are not already immunized.
*    If you are uncertain whether your partner is protected, the proper use of latex condoms is recommended.

Take control of your own health, learn about the management and treatments available for hepatitis B. Don't be fooled by advertisements for unproven methods of prevention and treatment. "

Basic steps for people who are chronically infected:

* Measure ALT every 6 months to assess whether treatment is appropriate. Elevated ALT levels in the blood stream can indicate active liver damage.

* Have the AFP test done every 6 months to screen for liver cancer. AFP (Alpha-FetoProtein) is a test used to look for liver tumors in patients with chronic hepatitis B and those at high risk for liver cancer. High AFP levels can indicate the possibility of liver cancer.
   *  Receive an ultrasound every year to screen for liver cancer.
   *  Get the hepatitis A vaccine to avoid further damage to the liver.
   * Avoid alcohol, drugs, herbal supplements and other substances that could potentially cause additional damage the liver.
   * Have family members screened for HBsAg (Hepatitis B surface antigen) and HBsAb (Hepatitis B surface antibody), and get vaccinated if appropriate.
    
I would suggest posting on MedHelp's Hepatitis B Community where others with Hepatitis B can help you.

Good luck to you!
Hector

[HectorSF]

For hepatitis B the FibroScan scoring card is consideres 10.2 kPa F2-F3 liver disease. Remember the scale is only an estimation. It is more accurate with stage 3 and 4 liver disease.
At about 10.5 kPa and above, for hepatitis B, it is then considered to be stage 3 liver disease.

Fibroscan Scoring Card
http://www.hepatitiscnewdrugresearch.com/fibroscan-results-the-scoring-card.html

Hector

[NLioan]

Hi Hector,

I have Hepatitis B ( chronic ). Nmarius is my brother ( he post from his account ). Sry. Anyway,both of us are infected with B virus. So, this mean i am on F3 , close to F4 ? ( cirrhosis ?) It's extremely urgent to start meds ASAP ( antiviral ) , right ? I saw that this could regress the fibrosis.

Regards!

[Nmarius]

Thanks for answer. I have B Heppatis chronic. What is the score now? I saw taht differes from cause to cause.