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4705307 tn?1447970322

Tx causes cancer?

I have debated asking this question, my desire is not to create anxiety! After running around yesterday, Getting my SSI appeal in motion, which went very well, thank God. I had to go and re-apply for medicad. Okay no bigie, we now have a car again, and I was relieved, no more busing all over the Vegas Valley, so happy.
Then the the last person I spoke to. shared some news with me that was the worst thing she could have said to me...
Her best friend had to treat for  HCV, and she had horrible Sx, much like mine. And at that she stopped and said no more, so I wanted to know, how was her friend doing? And as I was closing my file, I asked that question, her response was something I did not expect...Tx caused her friend to get stomach cancer and she passed. Is this possible? And if so why haven't I heard such things? Or is this person not only out of touch with compassion, but she too has no idea of what she speaks?    
23 Responses
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979080 tn?1323433639
Hmmmm , Interferon is actually FDA approved to fight certain cancers and being studied to fight various other cancers.
Tx also reduces the risk of  HCC .

b
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131114 tn?1380083190
had to LOL!
thanks!
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Avatar universal
Well, we all worry about getting Cancer, and I remember when I had my original labs done, many of my labs were too high, and very similar to Diana's, so I still have a fear: that I got rid of my Hep C, but that I might have Cancer hiding somewhere inside me.
   I am going to schedule my yrly physical, and plan on getting those same labs done again, but had them done with a research Doctor, not my regular Physcian. I will bring in the labs that I am worried about, show them to my Dr, and ask for them to be redone, but I have to admitt, I almost dont want to know, as in "ignorance is bliss".
    I think it would be a good idea for us Heppers and Ex-Heppers to get labs done for this, but not quite sure which ones for us to ask for, specifically?
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317787 tn?1473358451
Hi I am not sure, I am sorry, I was posting information to show that HCV can be connected with lymphoma, not tx, to help Timothy.  I apologize for posting something in addition to that.
I was cutting and pasting and think I cut too much :)
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317787 tn?1473358451
I am thinking of you, hoping you are ok, praying for you.  You are so close.  Your doctor is right, some of your problems may be taken care of with the tx.  I had cyroglobulinemia, my legs looked really bad, I was told they would never look right again.  My legs are now clearing up.  The worst spots are going away.
Again...no question is out of line.  If you don't know...you don't know.
Hang in there.
Dee
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Avatar universal
Tim you are so strong and you have 15 more weeks to go...hang in there.  What comes, comes.  Your strength and age will allow you to deal with it if it does.  Don't waste energy now worrying.  Don't discount your inner strength.

Had a great hepa who said...look....if you don't treat your Hep C it will eventually attack your liver and who knows what will happen then...so what do you have to lose...give yourself an opportunity...read, study the side effects, evaluate if you can do it...it's your option, your decision.

I think I am a super optimist but I am a realistic....I had to really sit myself down and went over and over the side effects, past, present and future if I went through tx and decided to do it and then my doctor pulled me off of it because he didn't think even my positive I can do anything attitude would get me through it physically.  

I tried all of them...non-responder to all.  The future side effects of interferon and riba themselves can be debilitating to some.  They are toxic in themselves.  Who knows what lays hidden in each of us just waiting for a open door of bodily weakness to occur.

Not being able to treat I am not in situation where I have to have a transplant I have to think about the side effects that can occur from it:  
Just like any surgery it can cause major problems and future side effects they tell you about are alarming.  Lord knows I would just like to have the surgery and then be back active and on the go but know that is not how it is going to be even with the most positive attitude.  And the bad side effects of a transplant are mind boggling.

It is a serious decision to take any of these drugs because of each person's individual physical make-up they react differently with each person.  All we can do is tell of our own experiences.

The whole thing about taking all medications themselves which are toxic is to.think and evaluate how it will effect your life....age and life experiences do weigh in here...the decisions I would make today might not be the same one I made at 40 as I would now.  When I took the interferon and riba I had no lifestyle because they made me so ill and the interferon attack my muscles so badly...so I opted out much to the relief of my doctor.

It is odd that when we first get this we are hysterical and then sometimes slip in to the norm of many modes of thinking we'll do something later, ignore it, try one thing, give it up, or are too busy to do anything.  Only to brought to reality by the disease itself.  I am proactive in doing what you can do to get rid of it before it hits your liver really badly.  

Hopefully as each of us go through this our lifestyles and eating habits changes...because if they don't then other factors can cause other things to happen.  Don't worry said it well....there are so many toxins in this world today...and when we were kids...I am sure I grew up in many a lead based painted home as a child.  Who didn't drink water out of a hose when they were a kid from iron base pipes....I could write volumes...

Cause versus effect....benefit versus effect....every action has a reaction. But that is not limited to taking these drugs.  Life styles and environments can do this too.  On new drugs research  is out on this...it takes decades to see adverse side effects of any drug and by then they are on their way to a new drug.    

Lot of good info above though in everyone's posts.
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3093770 tn?1389739126
Thank you Dee
I hope to achive regression as well
I need to understant what monoclonal immunoglobulin gene component actually is ??
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317787 tn?1473358451
ok I did find a reference to a connection between HCV and lymphoma.  I am sorry to hear that a friend of yours died.  I should have said that first.  I guess my first concern was you.
I cut this from another post about the connection

"People infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) are at an increased risk of developing certain lymphomas (cancers of the lymphatic system), according to a study published in the May 8, 2007, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association."
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/may2007/nci-08.htm

The report of Hermine et al. (July 11 issue)1 provides important additional evidence as to the possible role of antiviral therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the treatment of patients with HCV-associated mixed cryoglobulinemia and lymphoma. They report regression of splenic lymphoma with villous lymphocytes and loss of HCV RNA in seven patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia and HCV infection after treatment with interferon. In five of these patients, molecular studies were performed, but none of them showed loss of the monoclonal immunoglobulin gene component.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/extract/347/26/2168



Regression of Low-Grade Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma After Treatment With Pegylated Interferon Plus Ribavirin in Hepatitis C Virus Infection
http://jco.ascopubs.org/cgi/content/full/23/19/4470
Helpful - 0
317787 tn?1473358451
Hey there buddy, I went up to glass, searched for HCV and lymphoma and there were posts about it, here is one.

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/HCV-and-non-Hodgkins-lymphoma/show/97825
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317787 tn?1473358451
I had an acquaintance who had HCV, he did not treat it, he continued to drink, his legs blew up like balloon til he could no longer walk.
Then he was diagnosed with lymphoma which I have heard can happen in people with HCV.
I have no study to back this up, just hearsay.

When I was diagnosed with HCV I had also been tested for leukemia, lymphoma and another disease as my symptoms could have been  of any of those.

I am a little surprised that a friend of yours knowing you are treating would say this to you.
Hang in there it does get better
Dee
Helpful - 0
4705307 tn?1447970322
Again I think the information was given by someone that was still feeling her loose. And I foolishly sized it. And let it rent space in my head. I truly had debated even writing this question. I have read stuff a lot of stuff today and nothing linking cancer to Tx, just the opposite.
Like I said, it had me spinning, more so because I have these damn stomach cramps that get so bad I can not eat, and have been tiring to understand whats going on. When those words hit my mind, it grasped them and would not let me rest all night.
dontworry_behappy is right, "Anything toxic can add to your chances of getting cancer: cleaning products, oil/gas products, food additive,". God only knows how many times I have put my hands in chemicals at work the carcinogens, mek, triclor, freon just to name a few with out heeding precautionary measures gloves masks whatever. Back in the 70's and 80's it was no big thing to wash grease and grime off ourselves with that stuff, worked a lot better than soap and it was right there.
As far as Tx goes, I read and reread the the box inserts, and knew for some Tx could prove to be fatal, and as willb stated, "The benefit outweighs the risk." By far!! and I agreed then and still do I want rid myself of HCV, I wish I could tend to all other issues now too, and yet from the very beginning Dr. Prince, my Hep C Dr. told me we need to take care of this problem first, and hopefully some of the other problems would go too. But alas, I am a recovering addict, and I want what I want when I want it. Old behavior, but still rooted deep with in.
I have been told from first coming to this forum no questions were inappropriate, and yet I think this one takes the cake. I was aware how much it upset not only me but MJ too, as well as I knew it had no foundation to stand on, besides after a little research I reaffirmed for myself the unlikelihood of such an outcome, and had to put myself in check for being caught up hook line and sinker with such a misplaced concern and waste of energy again old behavior.
Thank you all for your input!
Tim      
        
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2059648 tn?1439766665
This is a rather interesting concept that Hepatitis C treatment may cause cancer.   Anything toxic can add to your chances of getting cancer: cleaning products, oil/gas products, food additive, my ex son-in-law.  
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3093770 tn?1389739126
yes, it causes a type of lymphoma, as it was proved in my case
This is a well proven link between HCV and hematological malignancies
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163305 tn?1333668571
Hep C is the number one cause of liver failure and liver cancer in the US.
It does not cause other kinds of cancers.

If your teeth are falling out and you're going bald would you say bad dental care causes hair loss ????

Having hep C doesn't stop you from having other problems too nor is it the cause of all the other ailments one might have.
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Avatar universal
             i want to believe that interferon tx will lower the risk of cancer, or slow  down tumor growth.  no links or proof just my opinion..... barry
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3093770 tn?1389739126
If it makes any difference: not treating HCV can also result in cancer
There are quite a few cases around of lymphomas caused by HCV. I am one of them and in these cases, theer are at least studies saying that clearing HCV will also clear the malignancy

As for other reports of cancer caused by tx - did not hear anything about that regarding dual tx

My understanding is that HCV core protein is responsible for the inhibition of the tumor necrosis factor and of apoptotic cell death which seems to me that will favour development of cancer

Some of the protease inhibitors are researched now for cancer tx

For our Incivek and Boceprovir, so far I could not find any data saying that will cause cancer
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Avatar universal
I know I need to be careful of what I let in.
------------------------------------------------------
I completely understand.
Even now, feeling so much better and having SVR, I find myself worrying about my health issues. I think being sick and especially when experiencing the extreme discomfort of treatment drugs, it is perfectly natural to imagine the worse. Just keep focusing on Everest and the beauty, it will pass and you will be on a new road soon. :-)
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4705307 tn?1447970322
Thank you all again, these too are my points of view, I have been looking hard and deep in to this possibility and have found no link, I guess she must still be hurting from the lose of her friend, and is raw. I know I need to be careful of what I let in. This scenario just hit me hard because I have been struggling with my gut....and it scared the bejesus out of me.  
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Avatar universal
sorry.


meant the opposite   "The benefit outweighs the risk
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Avatar universal
With all drugs it seems the adage  "risk vs. benefit ' is important   and trying to eradicate HCV from the body the risk seems to outweigh the benefit

that is however JMO

Will
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Avatar universal
Tx caused her friend to get stomach cancer and she passed. Is this possible? And if so why haven't I heard such things? Or is this person not only out of touch with compassion, but she too has no idea of what she speaks?    
----------------------------------
It is rarely safe to assume that what a "friend of a freind" tells you about what may have happened to someone is   "fact."

I have personally  never read any data that HCV therapy can directly cause cancer ,however having said that ..these are very poweful drugs and the "long term" effects of some of them are yet to be in evidence

best

Will

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Avatar universal
When people are ill they may be susceptible to other illnesses. There is scientific evidence that HCV can cause cirrhosis that can then be linked to liver cancer. My sister died of liver cancer after she successfully treated and achieved SVR. The cancer was caused by her very cirrhotic liver after years of living with HCV. That is the only connection.
I know treatment is rough on most folks especially if one's health is already compromised but in all my readings and listening to other's stories I have never heard that treatment can cause cancer. It is a very sad coincidence in my opinion.
Please don't worry, you probably are feeling poisoned and worried about your own tum, but you know, I never treated with interferon and I still have considerable stomach pain.
Hang in there :)
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2059648 tn?1439766665
I don't think there is lots of reports of people getting stomach cancer during treatment.  That's very unfortunate and sad story.   I'm sure people still get cancer regardless of being on hepatitis C treatment.  Hearing that this has happened to someone is heart breaking.  Cancer effects so many people and never seems to have good timing.  

Hepatitis C and Cancer Survivor
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