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As a geno 1, this is our expected response to treatment:
20% are rapid responders (UND by week 4) and have a 90% SVR ("cured") rate.
40% are complete early responders (UND by week 12) and have a 70-80% SVR rate.
20% are slow responders (UND by week 24) and have a 20-30% SVR rate with 48 weeks of treatment. If they extend to 72 weeks tx, they will increase their SVR rate.
20% are non-responders, i e null-responders, breakthrough, partial responders.
Maybe you can get an additional PCR between week 4 and week 12 to give you a clearer picture of when you reach UND. That's just me tho...I go kinda crazy with the PCRs.
Either way, baby.....I say KEEP KICKING IT!!!!!
I used to think this also, but I have seen a couple of examples of people without a 1 log drop at week 4, still become UND by week 24. So if you are prepared to extend to 72 weeks if you are not UND by week 12, I would say go for it.
There is always the option of waiting for the new drugs as well. Hopefully they will be approved in 2011 or thereabouts. Only you can decide how motivated you are to treat now versus to wait.
Hang in there =)
When we start this treatment, we all think we're going to be in the lucky half. We have a positive state of mind and we stick rigorously to the treatment. The truth is that positive state of mind doesn't make a difference to success of the treatment (although it helps in other ways). We're not all lucky. Some of us try our hardest and still don't get a SVR. It's the way of the treatment.
You're doing fine. There's no reason for you to stop treatment. Yeah, you're not in the lucky group that get an early response but you still have a perfectly reasonable chance of success as Isobella so clearly laid out.
So you're not lucky. Life is complicated. Stick with it. Don't give up.
Here's hoping 12 is the lucky number for us!
This is true, but d@mn if we are going to give up because of that. With persistance and endurance we can beat this virus still.
Za,
72-weeker and SVR