Only 10-15 % reach SVR?

[TeeVee36]

The drug, interferon -alpha 2b has been approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. Approximately 40% of patients treated for six months with interferon will respond, showing major improvement or normalization of liver tests and reduced inflammation on liver biopsy. However, of those who respond to treatment, approximately 60% will suffer a relapse during several months after interferon treatment is discontinued. Thus, only 10-15% of patients treated with interferon have a sustained, long-lasting response.

The above was cut and pasted directly from my GI Doctor's website under the heading of "Is there a Treatment for Chronic Hepatitis?"

[jmjm530]

I do hope your doctor's treatment approach is more up to date than his web site.  Sounds like interferon mono-therapy (no ribavirin) stats to me. I assume you're being treated with pegalayted interferon and weight-based ribavirin, but always a good idea to double-check.

-- Jim

[TeeVee36]

That is such a relief to know that the website stats are old and more importantly WRONG!  I have an appointment on Friday and will mention it to them.  To me those figures were very discouraging.

[Bobby1952]

   Yeah....I knew right away that it was about the old non pegylated interferon as soon as I saw the 10-15%.  
   Pegylated inteferon with Ribavirin is more like 40-45% in most studies. There are a few that claim 50%. But I don't think it translates to the real world.

Bobby

[nygirl7]

Yeah I'd tell the doctor if he doesn't know the newest info on stats it makes me worry does he know any of the latest studies that have been done!   Then most seriously I would ask him if he knew Berg, Sanchez Tapias etc. and if he said no I'd leave pronto or take the time to teach him.

[desrt]

Actually make that once pegylation and ribavirin were added to the picture. Apparently your doc's website hasn't been updated in the last 6 years.

[desrt]

10-15% was the statistic for non-pegylated IFN marketed under the name Intron A (Roferon was the name of IFN alpha 2a). Once pegylation was added to the picture, the stats became aprox. 50% for genos 1 and 4 and aprox. 80% for genos 2 and 3.