TOPIC: Long term risks for ex-Hep C patients???

Hi Everyone - I took the Harvoni treatment in 2016 and have been clear of Hep C since August of that year. All my blood results, ultra sound scans and fibroscan results are completely normal - Great news you would think. However my consultant is insistent that I am still at HIGH risk of developing cirrhosis, tumours, etc and that despite my excellent health now, I still need to do 6 monthly bloods and scans. I refused an endoscopy to look for varices in the gullet.
Talk about taking the shine off feeling well! I would like to know if anyone has experience of this gloomy opinion. I don't believe that continuing to carve my life into 6 monthly pieces with all the stress that creates, is in the long term healthy.

I finished Harvoni treatment in November 2016. My doctor told me that I would be at elevated risk for liver cancer for 10 years. He is going to want to do a liver ultra sound next year.

Hi GillA,

I guess it depends on what drives you to get checked.
In my case, I prefer to do the 6 months check just to know that I am doing fine. In case something would not be fine, I would have a higher chance to fix the health issue by starting earlier to treat it, before things get worse.

Cheers,
RHF

I get blood work every 6 months. It's been 3 years since my last liver ultra sound.

Hi GillA
Despite my previously decompensating, cirrhosis being all resolved, and my liver looking as good as anyone else's pretty much now, my specialist says- "will need 6 monthly scans for life to monitor risk of HCC". I have one next week, but I must say , I still like getting them because it is so good to see, where I came from to now. I suppose I will get sick of it sometime, and I don't think, myself, my risk is high at all. But, I'm grateful to get the scan and monitoring, when I see how hard it is for lots of people around the world to get the help they need. My local hospital has lots of issues, but in this, I am well served.

Hello GillA,

If you had cirrhosis prior to treatment then you are at increased risk of developing HCC and an Ultrasound every 6 months works well to keep an eye on it.

At SVR your liver gets better not worse, so cirrhotics become less cirrhotic or even fibrotic. All cause mortality is substantially reduced at SVR so there is less liver failure, less HCC and less everything else that falls into the extrahepatic manifestations.





As you can see from this graph you are about 1/3 as likely to die, 1/5 as likely to get HCC and 1/10 as likely to progress to liver failure. All good reasons not to paint a gloomy picture!


If you did not have cirrhosis prior to treatment your specialist is just being extra cautious.

Thank you so much - at last some straightforward information for me to think about. I really do appreciate your response.

Here is my 1.5 year bloods and cancer screen, all incredible.
My liver and blood tests have never looked better in 30 years. My GI doc wants an ultra sound and I agreed. He states my results will help the next patient but I have ultra low risk in getting any HCC or cirrossis due to the successful DAA treatment completed.
I paint a sunny picture, I won’t and don’t live in health fear.

Those are some great looking numbers Sven!