So you’ve made it! SVR12 and you are cured of Hep C. Maybe you battled your insurance company for access to the medications. Maybe you sourced generic medications yourself.
For most patients at this point that’s it. It’s over. You’re cured and Hepatitis C can drift quietly into the past, but there is one group of patients who do need ongoing follow up. That group is the group of patients who have cirrhosis. If this is you please follow the advice below:
Every 6 months arrange for an ultrasound of your liver and an AlphaFetoProtein (AFP) blood test. This is suggested by both AASLD and EASL because cirrhosis carries an increased risk for the development of HepatoCellularCancer (HCC). Prior to treatment that risk was about 3% per year, and with SVR12 it falls to less than 1% but it does not fall to zero. With any form of cancer early detection allows for early treatment and cure, so keeping an eye out for this issue is a great way to protect your health.
If you look at the impact of SVR you can see quite clearly why treatment is probably the single best thing a patient with Hepatitis C can do for their health.
