biopsy results

[w.s.]

i recently was diagnosed with c and did a biopsy- my doctor said no rush for treatment but i feel nervous-about his opinion-the report states marked fibrous portal expansion with prominent lymphocytic infiltration. some fibrosus tissue extends into the parenchyma but no complete nodules-mild to moderate piecemeal necrosis is present as is minimal fatty change-now this sounds scary and need some other opinions-anyone have any thoughtsw.s.

[B-bunch]

Hi,
Necrosis means dead cells , it also goes by the name of Cirrosis. Find a new Hepatologist and get on the treatment as soon as you can. Don't fool around with ignorant doctors. It's your life NOT your doctors life. Go now. Don't screw around.

[chcnme]

Hi Friole. I'm glad you gave that link to Janice's.  It's got some really good information and links there, I think.

Hope you're doing good!

[chcnme]

Hi w.s.  Sorry you've got Hep C.  It's a scary diagnosis, but for most the odds are in thier favor that they are going to be OK.  That's not to say you don't have a serious liver condition; it's just to say -- don't get too scared right now.

You need to be under the care of a liver doctor  (gastroenterologist / hepatologist).  Any recommendation to treat or to hold off needs to be made by a liver doctor  (not just your regular doctor.)  If a liver doctor has told you there is no rush right now, try to find some peace in that for now, but (at the same time) make sure that doctor tells you WHY treatment is no rush right now, and make sure he tells you what type of followup appointments you should be having in the future to keep an eye on your liver.  Start making it a habit to get copies of your lab work and any diagnostics (biopsy, ultrasound, etc.)

Many factors are taken into consideration when treatment recommendations are made  (biopsy results, genotype, overall  health, the presence of other medical conditions, many others).  

If you are Genotype 1, the standard treatment right (that which has been approved by the FDA to treat Hep C called the "Standard of Care")  is a combination of pegylated interferon and ribavirin.  For Geno1's, it's working in about 50% of those being treated with it.  Some do OK while on treatment;  others have a more difficult time.  Treatment is not without its risks, and the side effects can be bad and even disabling for some.  

Also being taken into consideration now by some liver doctors is the fact that some newer treatments might be on the market in a few years that could improve Geno1's chances of succeeding at treatment and could also reduce the amount of time treatment is needed.  Talk to your doctor about these newer treatments.  If he isn't knowledgeable, keep reading on-line (go to www.hcvadvocate.org and start reading.)  Ask questions on support forums.  If you don't understand what someone is saying, ask them to spell it out.  Try your best not to let someone on-line scared you to death about your liver, Hep C, or about treatment.

If you are drinking alcohol or doing recreational drugs, it would be real smart to stop them because both can cause more damage to your liver.  

If you do not like your current doctor or have doubts about his expertise, get a second opinion if you can.

Take care.  Let us know how you're doing.

[friole]

Wise words from chc

Here is a good site to read about the biopsy report:

http://janis7hepc.com/biopsy.htm

and here are some slides:

w-medlib.med.utah.edu/WebPath/LIVEHTML/LIVERIDX.html#2

[rochammer]

ws

Sorry you have to deal with this but we all had the same feelings. To many new words that we just don

[friole]

Yes, I really like the information on Janis.  WHen I got my biopsy report (June05) it wasn't graded or staged, and I used the Janis site to identify every word on the biopsy report. It really helped me to understand it all, and even tho I was only grade 1, stage 1 (the pathologist graded it upon my request) after reading about the inflammation and progression, I decided to treat. (relapsed, but at least I tried)

Where are you in treatment?  Seems like I read that you were a nurse.  Your information is very insightful.
Kathy

[chcnme]

Hi Kathy.  Janis is good - so much good info on that site. I did the same thing - I read and read from that site when diagnosed in 2003.  You were grade 1 stage 1!  That's so much in your favor :)  Sorry you relapsed, but at least you did try.  I hope one day something will come along that will treat us a lot better than what's out there now.  I'm not on treatment currently.  I have been interested in the VX-950 and been in a watchful waiting program (which is a trial, too) at Duke since last year.  There's no treatment in WW; I just get seen by the research coord and they ask a bunch of questions about depression, anxiety, etc.  They are a very nice bunch.  Had last checkup by doc last week.  He says liver is doing fine.  I'm still looking at possibility of HCV 796 trial(polymerase inhibitor) that I can get in, but the trial won't be ironed out for a few more months (like March).  I have time to think about it.  Yeah I'm a nurse, but I have not practiced since 2001.  This virus put the breaks on me with respect to that.  I just couldn't go back (mentally) once I found out I had it.  But there's a reason for everything, and everything truly did work out just fine.  

See ya 'round :)  Happy Holiday!

[ladybug52]

Did the report give a grade and stage? That is how you can determine the amount of damage. Don't be nervous, if it was extremely serious he would say so, I hope.