help me interpet results

I recieved my patholgy report today....chronic hep c   grade 2 of 4 inflamation (inflammation), stage 1 of 4 fibrosis  will see my doctor next week.  is this low, high and the CHRONIC I don't get.. I just thought everyone was HEPC

[Susan_1a_CC]

Grade 2, stage 1 isn't a bad place to be in this hep situation - in your terms I'd say you're "low"  The chronic is as opposed to an acute infection and just means that it's not going to clear spontaneously.  A rough guideline that doc gave me was that a person would increase one grade every 10 years.  When I met my current hep doc I was grade 2, stage 0, and he said he wouldn't even start to worry about me for 20 more years.  Hope that helps alleviate any fears that you are having.  

[crankykk]

Thank you Susan  That makes me breath a whole lot better, I'm still FREAKING OUT this being all so new but I guess we just keep the faith.. Tring to find a GOOD DOC in VEGAS!!!!

[Bill1954]

Hi Cranky—

Your pathology report is good in the sense that it allows you plenty of ‘wiggle room’; it reduces any sense of urgency to undergo treatment, at least from that perspective, anyway. In a case like this, you should be offered a choice to either treat the HCV now or wait for more patient-friendly, efficacious treatment modalities to show up.

Most of us now have chronic infection, as Susan mentioned above. We all start out ‘acute’; after six months, if the disease persists, it is then classified as chronic. There’s  a chance that our immune system will resolve the infection during the acute phase; but after six months passes that window closes, and it becomes a long term, chronic condition.

Good news over all; has your doctor offered any management recommendations yet?

[Bill1954]

Have you tried calling California Pacific Medical Center yet?

707-445-9015
3006 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas

http://www.sutterpacific.org/services/liver.html

[crankykk]

No Bill   but I will  Thank You, Thank You. won't see the doctor till next week, and will see what he has to say.  
You guys are the best, I'm BLESSED to have a forum like this to help answer all these questions, My hope is to one day come here and answer because I was Tx and have all normal numbers.. God Bless and Merry-Xmas crankyk

[spectda]

The metavir score refers to the numbers in your pathology report. You have minimal damage to your liver which gives you times to talk to your doctor and consider your treatment carefully.

Do you know what genotype you are? Your genotype is the particular variant/strain of the hep c virus that you have. Your genotype, metavir score, and other labs will also determine your doctors approach to treatment.

What Is a METAVIR Score?
The METAVIR score helps interpret a liver biopsy. When this biopsy is performed, doctors need a reliable way to quantify what is seen under the microscope. This scoring system assigns two standardized numbers: one to represent the degree of inflammation and the other the degree of fibrosis.
What Does My METAVIR Score Mean?
The fibrosis is graded on a 5-point scale from 0 to 4. The activity, which is the amount of inflammation (specifically, the intensity of necro-inflammatory lesions), is graded on a 4-point scale from A0 to A3.
Fibrosis score:
F0 = no fibrosis
F1 = portal fibrosis without septa
F2 = portal fibrosis with few septa
F3 = numerous septa without cirrhosis
F4 = cirrhosis
Activity score:
0 = no activity
1 = mild activity
2 = moderate activity
3 = severe activity

Why Is a METAVIR Score Helpful?
Your METAVIR score is one of many "tools" your doctor can use to help determine your treatment and monitor your progress. Sometimes a score of two or greater suggests that treatment should begin. This is not always the case, because individualized treatment can also be recommended for people with a lower score.
Like most things, the METAVIR system has its strengths and weaknesses. Other scoring systems are available, such as the Knodell score (also called the histologic activity index, or HAI). However, the METAVIR score is simple to use and is popular in many clinics.

Hope this info helps,
Dave

[nygirl7]

You hardly seem very cranky to me you are always very pleasant and I am glad that your bx results came back so great! One is a great stage to be if you have to be at any of them!