hep c 2b

[needtoknow111]

I was recently diagnosed with hep c .2b  ..i go to a charity hospital ..they said i did not need to do a liver biopsy ..is this normal?..not to do a liver biopsy?..Does anyone know about 2b?..

[orphanedhawk]

You don't need a biopsy but you really, really do need to be well informed before you begin treatment, if you decide to do so.

A biopsy is performed to detemine the health of your liver. If you have a healthy liver, you might want to delay doing treatment as the virus moves slowly.

Genotype 2 is easier to treat statistically.
Currently treatment consists of interferon and ribavirin but better treatments will be available in a few years.
It also is possible you could do a trial with one of these new meds.
Trials cover all costs.

Try looking at this web site for more information:
www.hepcadvocate.org

[ActingBrandNew]

Oh well, you have the link if your interested in seeing how they score it. But I would inquire about it since he chose not to give you a biopsy. Its a simple blood test.

[ActingBrandNew]

Ill try it one more time....
Fibrosis Scoring:
0.74 = Stage F4 – Cirrhosis

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/print/91402
            

[ActingBrandNew]

I must have erased some of my last post on accident...here is the FibroSure scoring in its totality.

Interpretations:

Quantitative results of 6 biochemical tests are analyzed using a

computational algorithm to provide a quantitative surrogate marker

(0.0-1.0)  for liver fibrosis (METAVIR F0-F4) and for

necroinflammatory activity (METAVIR A0-A3).

Fibrosis Scoring:

           0.74 = Stage F4 – Cirrhosis

Macroinflamm Activity Scoring:

              0.62 = Grade A3 – Severe activity

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/print/91402

[ActingBrandNew]

"they said i did not need to do a liver biopsy ..is this normal?..not to do a liver biopsy?"

It can be normal, yes. Sometimes doctors like to use a blood test called FibroSure. That's what I had before I started treatment. FibroSure is a biomarker test that uses the results of six blood serum tests to generate a score that is correlated with the degree of liver damage in people with a variety of liver diseases. The FibroSure test has the same prognostic value as a liver biopsy.

They score it like this:
Interpretations:

Quantitative results of 6 biochemical tests are analyzed using a

computational algorithm to provide a quantitative surrogate marker

(0.0-1.0)  for liver fibrosis (METAVIR F0-F4) and for

necroinflammatory activity (METAVIR A0-A3).

Fibrosis Scoring:

           0.74 = Stage F4 – Cirrhosis

Macroinflamm Activity Scoring:

              0.62 = Grade A3 – Severe activity

http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/print/91402

Since your doctor chose not to give you a liver biopsy, ask if he is giving you the FiroSure test in its place.

[desrt]

If I were in your place, a lot would depend on how long I thought I'd been infected. Usually HCV is slow to damage your liver, so if it's only been a couple months or a couple years since you think you were exposed and you haven't done a lot of drinking since then, your fibrosis may not have progressed too far. Some doctors will also skip a biopsy for type 2s and 3s because the cure rate is relatively high with two part therapy (interferon and ribavirin) and if that's what is available to you, they assume you'll take it.
As Dannyboi7 posted it's best to treat with a knowledgeable doctor, but not all of us have that option. Educate yourself so you can help with the decision making process.

[Dannyboi7]

   What do you mean by "they"...are you seeing a liver specialist such as a hepatologist or a GI?If not you it would be in your best  interest to do so.It's not uncommon to not do biopsies these,their are other non invasive methods to evaluate how much liver damage you have.Your doctor would need know that to assess whether it is good for you on treatment or not.The genotype 2 are the easiest to treat on a 24 week
SOC treatment.