Hepatitis C and Cirrhosis

[Dldtx]

Hi I am 57 and last year I was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and Cirrhoses of the liver. I have taken the medication for the Hep C and currently it is undetected, Evidently I have had Hepatitis C for 30yrs or so undiagnosed, I now have tumors on the liver, spleen and kidneys curious as to what to expect next I have ulcers in my stomach also can't sleep I have lost around 70lbs along with hepatic encephalopathy an the onset of adult asthma sometimes I am lost. However I am diagnosed as HCV compensated. HEPATITIS - C = genotype 2b stage 4 fibrosis , Act grade A3 So is there any hope ?

[AyrshireK]

Request referral to a transplant clinic - you may not yet need transplant but it may be a treatment option now that you have cleared Hep C. You are showing symptoms from the cirrhosis and the earlier you are seen at TP clinic the better - if only to touch base and get on the radar or indeed for a TP assessment.

I would push for this a.s.a.p.

All the best, Katie

[Catfishjumpin]

Did they find the tumors before or after treatment? You will want a doctor doing ultra sound or mri or ct scans to keep an eye on the tumors. Good luck

[Dldtx in reply to Catfishjumpin]

Thank you, They all First showed up 6 months after the sovaldi and ribavirin treatment. I have had a MRI every 6 months since. The one on the spleen is the fastest growing.

[Catfishjumpin in reply to Dldtx]

I think of course you have lots of hope. I had ribavarin and interferon for a year in 2004. It did not kill the virus. I was 53. In 2014 I was treated with new drugs, solvaldi and olysio and cured in 12 weeks but the second treatment produced one tumor that began to look like liver cancer. For one year it did not grow but then it began to grow fast. Then the liver cancer moved into my lungs and they have quickly filled with tumors. I have been decompensated many years. Its great you are not. Its good they are keeping an eye on the tumors. Eat well, rest well, do not worry, live well. I hope what I shared helped a bit. Aloha

[dckimberly]

Hi there. I had the new Hep C drugs and have remained clear of the virus for well over a year. iI had a transplant right after finishing the drugs. Now I need another transplant because the new liver is failing mechanically.they put a shunt in hoping to give the liver a bit of a break. I now suffer from HE or hepatic enchalopothy. Which puts me out of it for two days at a time. It's similar to dementia, yes, but not the same thing as dementia or Alzheimer's..that's just a way for them to explain what can happen.the symptoms are similar. I come to unaware of what day it is or what I've done, said, etc.

Thankfully, I'm still free of Hep C.

I think, if your not already..you should be being seen by liver doctors primarily.

Of course there is hope..but tumors past a certain size means no chance for transplant. That's why someone else said to ask to be referred straight away to transplant team and hospital. Either way..they have the best doctors. Those doctors see it all, everything.

Good luck and cheering you on!

Kimberly

[Geffy22]

Check is you can have PDT treatment of your liver cancer. The current PDT molecules are now being put into lysosomes so they are safer internally. It's a fantastic cancer treatment that is not utilised as much as it should be - esp cos it has so few side effects.

Our PDT molecule won't need encapsulating but we are years off being able to use it medically - we expect to be able to deposit it onto the tumour, light it with us and cancer = gone. It has already been shown to do this in mice ( tumour size apparently visually reduces after 10 mins.).