Re: Hi Hoku

[Guest guest]

That is a very good explantion Deb = thanks. I agree with her Hi

Hoku. Treatment can acutally harm you liver in some cases of

cirrhosois = that is why they will not treat me. We can't take that

chance with my history of cancer.

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> HCV and the liver disease it causes is a silent disease until to

much permanent damage is done to the liver.  A person can be in late

stage 3 or early stage 4 cirrhosis stages and not know it feel it or

have signs of it yet.

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> Stage and grade of the liver is done by grading the liver biopsy

specimen.

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> Up to 20% of people maybe a little higher can be in early

cirrrhosis stages with normal to slightly elevated liver panel labs

not the usual high elevated labs for cirrhosis and little to no

cirrhosis symptoms because the liver is still compensating working

enough.  They than jump progress more into cirrhosis stages with a

spike in high labs and cirrhosis symptoms when the liver can not

compensate enough anymore and into decompensated stage of liver

cirrhosis.

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> Labs and with ultra sounds mri's even with contrasts do not give a

true total picture of the liver damage a biopsy is more accurat with

the bx specuim tissue examined by a trained Dr of Pathology.

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> Liver labs are just like our viral loads are not a constent

continue to flucuate hard to determine stage and grade or severity of

our HCV liver disease by that alone.

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> A liver biopsy is still medically called the gold standard for

judging stage and grade of liver by the actual results of the liver

tissue.  A biopsy can show many other things also going on in a

diseased liver picks it up by the biopsy.

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> It is medically reccomended for pt's to have a liver biopsy done

prior to starting HCV tx meds to learn stage and grade and this also

help in determing if the pt should be on extended weeks of tx for the

higher stage and grade which takes more time to clear on tx.  

Usually tx meds show enough of a log drop amount at 12 weeks on tx

some don't by their genos or the higher stage grade.  Some Dr's use

this at 12 weeks to judge determine if a pt should clear enough be a

resonder in time or if extending

> the tx weeks is best to clear it.  It all depends on a pt's Dr and

how they tx their pt's.  Some Dr's will stop a pt's tx if not enough

of a log drop at 12 weeks while some Dr will not stop tx will allow

an extended length of time weeks on tx to try for a clearrnce because

of the late stage and grade shown by bx that usually takes more time

on tx for a clearence.

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> We have had members on extended tx's for 52 weeks maybe some longer

to clear.

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> If it was me starting tx I would want a liver bx done prior to tx

to determine my stage and grade of liver especially in early

cirrhosis stages with my Dr's watching me more closly for

complications and worsening into late stages of cirrhosis from tx.

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> I would not go into tx blindly with my Dr and I not knowing my

actual stage grade before starting tx and to know to watch for

worsening of chirrosis stages while on it.

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> All The Best

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> Deb

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> A liver biopsy is reccmended to learn the stage agrade of the

person before starting tx because for some people in early cirrhosis

stages the tx meds can have a bad side worsening of HCV and liver

disease by stage and grade. It is beat ti know stage and grade by bx

and if in cirrhosis stages to be medically watched more c,lloscley

for signs of those complications and worsening in stages.

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