Do AFP numbers show progression of HCV?

[Michigan57]

My AFP was 71.2 (Oct, 2010) - 76.2 (May 2011) and 83.9 (Aug. 2011).  I have not started treatment yet. Do these number indicate how fast the disease is progressing?  How worried should I be?

[Michigan57]

Thanks Hector, I appreciate your response. I've never been treated before, am geno 1a and have Stage 2+ fibrosis.  Dr. thinks because of liver biopsy, low platelets, etc. that there may be cirrhosis but it's not confirmed.  I am waiting to see if a clinical trial is available for me and for now, if nothing comes along I will start treatment at the beginning of 2012 unless something changes.  I've not had the IL28B test done.  Thanks again!

[HectorSF]

Correct!
I meant to say "Liver disease CAUSED BY HEPATITIS C takes decades to progress from Stage 0 to Stage 4, cirrhosis..

Thanks for catching that, Mike!
Hector

[mikesimon]

You said:

"...Liver disease takes decades to progress from Stage 0 to Stage 4, cirrhosis..."

I know you meant Hepatitis C and not liver disease in general. I wouldn't want anyone to mistakenly think that all liver diseases take decades to progress to cirrhosis.

Mike

[HectorSF]

No AFP does not indicate the speed of liver disease progression. It is not uncommon for patients with HCV to have high AFP levels. AFP can also indicate the presence of liver cancer. AFP may correlate to the amount of viral activity but these are irrelevant to the odds of successful hepatitis C treatment (SVR). Liver disease takes decades to progress from Stage 0 to Stage 4, cirrhosis. In one year there will not be a huge different in the amount of liver damage you have.

Before starting treatment what is most important for predicting treatment success is whether you have failed treatment before, genotype, the stage of your liver disease now (biopsy) and the genetic variation in IL28B (IL28B test results).

If you have cirrhosis, are you having imaging (ultrasound, CT scan or MRI) surveillance for liver cancer (HCC)?

Good luck with your treatment!
Hector