Stage 1 to stage 3

[wantalivlong]

What is the shortest amount of time you've heard of someone going from stage 1 to stage 3 or 4?

Trying to guess how one is to know how long they should wait to treat OR if one should wait at all.

[JennyPenny]

" WHILE you are still stage 3 the fibrosis can possibly be reversed. Once it becomes cirhhosis it cannot."

Actually the HALT C trials have shown that at year 5, SVR, 20% of people who cleared and were stage 4 have reduced fibrosis scores. Some have even gone back to no fibrosis. At Stage 3, 80% of patients have reduced their metavir score of 3 to a tage 2 or less.

[apache1]

To answer your above question Jim, no... the above study I posted was just on g2 , g3.

Interesting the study showed not only cirrhosis, but also stage 3 fibrosis, had a detrimental effect achieving SVR

apache

[jmjm530]

Understood. I was referring to your statement that "a grade 4 should treat now".

As mentioned, grade can fluctuate, so treatment decisions are usually based mostly on stage.

[bandman54]

stage 1 , grade 1

bandman

[susan400]

I do know have any idea which scale my biopsies were done under.  I've had 4 of them altogether.  I've had bridging fibrosis for the past 7 years.  I am now a genotype 1A, but previously was classified as genotype mixed of 1A/1B.   I am a 10 X   non-SVR treater.  I did have some response to the treatments in that my viral load would come down and my LFT's would come down, but I've never cleared.  Also, I've had no reversal of fibrosis on my biopsies.  There's really not much out there for me right now as far as available treatments.  Unless I get fortunate enough to be accepted into another Phase 2 or 3 trial.  I have no idea if by the time that these newer drugs are finally FDA approved if I'll even be able to get them.  Right now, I have no prescription drug insurance and if I even did, these new drugs are going to be costing such a high price that it's doubtful that many insurance companies will even want to pay for it.  My chances at having success at any further Telaprevir treatments is not all that great since I've already been exposed to the Telaprevir..., possible resistance factors there.  I don't mean to be negative, but facts are facts.  I can just try and stay as healthy as I can and hope and pray that I don't have further progression.

Susan400

[jmjm530]

I'm pretty well wrapped up on the "Treat now or Watch n' Wait" discussion, masked as something or another this time :) Hopefully people trying to make a decision will read this thread (and the referenced studies) carefully and then do their own independent research including discussing everything with a good hepatologist. And as I mentioned before, fibrosis progression and SVR -- whatever study or doc you believe -- is just one of many factors in coming to a decision.

As to Pearlman's "research", don't do it is all I can say! Absolutely no reason for an elective EOT biopsy. Haven't you put yourself through enough?

If you're really that curious -- and remember what it did to the cat -- why don't you wait a year or so post treatment when the liver may have had time to heal a bit more. And hopefully by then, Fibroscan or other non-evasive tests will be more readily available. Frankly, not even sure if I'd get scanned again if I walked into my doc's office and found a new machine sitting there. What's the point? I've already assumed my liver has healed some, so the result could only disappoint. I'm certainly not going to take any more interferon to heal it some more. LOL.

All the best,

-- Jim