Problems with biopsy results

[Healed24]

Hello to all. I have a question that I hope you guys can give me some advice on. Yesterday I got a letter from my docs office telling me that they want me to come in for another biopsy. The hospital where I had my biopsy done may have mixed up people's results during the time I had my orginial biopsy. I am on week 26/48 and I was seriously considering quitting treatment because I am having a terrible time with the sx. I thought I was Stage 0/Grade 0 (from orginal biopsy results), had a low vl prior to tx 208,000 and cleared at week 11 (Oh, by the way I'm geno 1A, had virus for 7 years). With those stats I thought I would have a good chance at SVR even if I quit early, but now I'm unsure because I may be a Stage 0/Grade 0 and I could have significant damage.

I wanted to ask you guys if I should let them do another biopsy, and how reliable will be since I've been on tx so long? Do you think it's just too late and I should just forget and stick with treatment until it's over? Eventhough I think it may be too late I really want to know how much damage (if any) I have.

Thanks to all.
Brooke

GOD BLESS

[Snookmiester]

The pre op blood test, that ALL medical centers run are as follows:
CBC, PT, PTT, and a typing cross.
PT and PTT are clotting factors, and typing cross is to determine blood type..

As I stated above, who among us has "normal", or "within" range levels while undergoing tx. The patients chances of bleeding, scarring, and infection are greatly increased while on tx.

[GoofyDad]

Brooke,
I've been thinking about you. Please keep us posted. As Jim alluded - they messed this up and owe you every effort of making it right. Whether that means you should speak to a lawyer (not sue them, just learn your rights/options), or the Chief of Medicine, or whatever. Mistakes have been made and you need an advocate to make sure someone is  righting the wrongs.

[jmjm530]

I was about to say, many doctors here will reccomend treat geno 2's regardless of biopsy or fibrosis level (shorter course, higher success rate) -- but on re-reading your original post, I realize you've been dx as a dual genotype, so for tx purposes, I suppose you'd have to follow geno 1 protocols to play it on the safe side.

-- Jim

[jmjm530]

You've been to three doctors and they all said the same thing -- no biopsy needed. The first doctor probably based his diagnosis on blood tests and the way you presented himself. It was later confirmed by Fibroscan. You're also a geno 2 which may be part of the equation.

Regarding Fibroscan, you (Europe) are ahead of us here. We only have three Fibroscan units in the United States but some doctors are very optimistic that if the trials here pan out like in Europe, Fibroscan will eventually start to replace needle biopsy.

It should also be added that some doctors here use Fibrosure -- a test similar to Fibrotest -- instead of needle biopsy. The test you took -- Fibroscan -- is superior to Fibrotest according to some studies.

Apparently the biopsy protocol is different in Spain, so
what I'm thinking is that you should give serious consideration to following the advice of your three doctors unless you want to go to a different country, find a doctor there, get re-evaluated, and perhaps biopsy there, if that is what they suggest.  

Don't know the biopsy technology/philosophy in Spain, but if yor thre doctors are hesitant, so would I. The only thing I might suggest is to confirm Fibroscan with the blood marker test Fibrotest. There have been some studies lately that show that Fibroscan combined with Fibrotest correlates the most accurately with needle biopsy.

Good luck whatever you decide and just remember we all try our best here but none of us are doctors and none of us have examined you.

-- Jim

[scubadiver30]

So I wonder. What about punctured lungs, bleeding liver and all the things that can occur in the organ with every intrusive procedure? The problem that I see here is that most spanish doctors do the biopsies in what they consider moderate to grave cases (with symptoms and major changes in blood stats) Not in the early stages. I have already gone to 3 different doctors. They don't know each other adn they and they said the same thing. :-(
Could it be there's a difference in protocol between Europe and US?

[cuteus]

well, it might be that the Madre Patria is far more advanced than the ethnocentric US! It seems as if the two tests combined, Fibroscan and Fibrotest, give the most accurate correlation to bx, so maybe they can add the latter to the mix. It looks as if the scan will stage but not grade the HCV activity in the Liver, which might or not make a difference in tx decission. If you are staged at one and grade 4, it is pretty close to a two and could persuade someone to tx. If the scan shows stage one, it has a nice sound to it, but, to me, I want more than just stages, I want DETAILS. That is just me.