Is untreated HCV a death sentence?

[pcds]

I have read many posts from people that say if untreated you wll die of complicatons of HCV.  That is not true.  Only 5% get liver cancer and it's hard to tell the progression of cirrohsis especially if your lifestyle is healthy.   I've had HCV for 40 yrs and only stopped etoh 2009.  Stage 0-1.  People are different.  I work in a hosptal ICU, 8 years and have seen 1 liver cancer from HCV and the patient was a heavy drinker.   All the HCV patients I see in the ICU with GI bleeds, cirr. are actively drinking heavily.  I am not saying this virus is a good thing to have, I am treating currently.  I just want people who want to wait for less toxic drugs not to bee so fearful if their liver can wait.

[nygirl7]

Do you have the ability to say I am completely and unirrevocably WRONG and what I said is pure BS? I've been wrong on here before and have always had the guts to say so.  

Remind me if I get ill to stay the heck out of your ICU, I mean If I have a heart attack and they find out I have the HCV antibodies I'm sure my care will be less than stellar as they'll just lump me in with the other dirtbag alcoholics right?

Jez this thread made my heart hurt.

[willbb]

An older ,however very large study (2235 patients), on the likelihood of progression and some factors that are involved. Just one study ,certainly many people would fall outside these parameters.

Will

http://www.mendeley.com/research/natural-history-liver-fibrosis-progression-patients-chronic-hepatitis-c-obsvirc-metavir-clinivir-dosvirc-groups/


Our aim was to assess the natural history of liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C and the factors associated with this progression. METHODS: We recruited 2235 patients .

We assessed the effect of nine factors on fibrosis progression: age at biopsy; estimated duration of infection; sex; age at infection; alcohol consumption; hepatitis C virus C (HCV) genotype; HCV viraemia; cause of infection; and histological activity grade. We defined fibrosis progression per year as the ratio between fibrosis stage in METAVIR units and the duration of infection (1 unit = one stage, 4 units = cirrhosis).

FINDINGS: The median rate of fibrosis progression per year was 0.133 fibrosis unit (95% CI 0.125-0.143), which was similar to the estimates from previous studies (0.146 to 0.154). Three independent factors were associated with an increased rate of fibrosis progression: age at infection older than 40 years, daily alcohol consumption of 50 g or more, and male sex. There was no association between fibrosis progression and HCV genotype. The median estimated duration of infection for progression to cirrhosis was 30 years (28-32), ranging from 13 years in men infected after the age of 40 to 42 years in women who did not drink alcohol and were infected before the age of 40. Without treatment, 377 (33%) patients had an expected median time to cirrhosis of less than 20 years, and 356 (31%) will never progress to cirrhosis or will not progress for at least 50 years.

INTERPRETATION: The host factors of ageing, alcohol consumption, and male sex have a stronger association with fibrosis progression than virological factors in HCV infection.

[indy531]

I commend the brave souls whoare able to share their DX-I just don't have the strength/resolve to take o dealing directly w/the ignorance and stigma associated w/HCV. I have kept my DX limited to only immediate family and 1 couple who we are very close to.

[CoWriter]

There's a study that was presented at AASLD done on 1832 veterans that showed that 20 years after diagnosis 70% of patients who treated and obtained SVR were still alive vs 35% of people who were not treated or who failed treatment.

http://hepatitisdoctor.com/!drcecil%20copy-1.pdf

Co

[Gizmo103]

I'd say it's time to change careers

[Gizmo103]

The question that bugs me the most from healthcare workers that are not my treating physician, "How did you get HCV?" you can tell it's out of a judgmental curiosity that they are asking. The truth is I'm one of the 30% that is unsure how I contracted the disease, but just once I'd like to respond with "Does it matter? If I said IV drug user would that make me any less of a human being? That somehow is less deserving of compassion?" The stigma this disease carries with it is awfully hard to take sometimes. Being judged when your down and out already is so cruel. If ur a healthcare worker that's lost ur compassi