New hope for people with hepatitis C
By Angsuman Chakraborty, Gaea News NetworkMonday, May 23, 2005
University of New South Wales (UNSW) researchers are running two new studies on hepatitis C, which could revolutionise treatment for the virus.
It is hoped that one study could lead to cure rates of almost 100 percent in those who have just been infected with the virus. The US-funded Australian Trial in Acute Hepatitis C (ATAHC) study involves giving people the drug Pegylated interferon within six months of being diagnosed.
“There is good news and bad news with this virus,” said Associate Professor Dore. “We can cure 50-80 percent of people with current treatments and are working on new ways of administering drugs to improve these rates further, but on the other hand, there is not a lot of awareness about this amongst people with hepatitis C or GPs.”
The problem is that most Hepatitis C patients come to know about their disease when it has advanced. Dialysis patients are very much at risk for Hepatitis C. So far the accepted treatment has been a dual therapy with Interferon and Ribavarin, earlier the better.
|
September 7, 2008: 10:17 pm
Tengo 1 año en tratamiento en el IMSS con interferon y ribabirina para contrarestar hepatitic c genotipo 1a, no tuve buen resultado. y ahora que debo hacer??? estoy deseperada… por favor solicito AYUDA |
 ayde |
March 22, 2006: 11:23 am
hola quiciera que me ayudaran tengo una hermana de 37 años con cancer de higado, tiene 5 tumores,la quimio no sirvi para reducirloe esperamos alguna respuesta. se los agradeceriamos. |
 Macgrath |
October 11, 2005: 11:04 am
Hepatitis is a general term that means inflammation of the liver. This inflammation can be caused by infection. Hepatitis can also be caused by exposure to alcohol, certain medications, chemicals, poisons, and other toxins, or by other diseases. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the many viruses that can cause inflammation of the liver. Inflammation of the liver caused by infection with HCV is referred to as hepatitis C. * If the inflammation is not reversed, it becomes chronic (ongoing, long term) and can cause chronic liver disease, which can be serious or even fatal. * At least 75% of people infected with hepatitis C develop chronic hepatitis C. * If the disease progresses to the point at which the liver begins to fail (end stage liver disease), the only treatment is liver transplantation. Hepatitis C is an increasing public health concern in the United States and throughout the world. * HCV is one of the most common causes of chronic liver disease in the United States and the most common cause of chronic viral hepatitis. * It is believed to be the cause of about 15-20% of all cases of acute (new, short term) viral hepatitis and half of all cases of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer. About 4 million people in the United States have antibodies to HCV, meaning they have been infected with the virus at some point; as many as half of them do not know they have the infection. |
bertha