Maybe I worded it wrong. I think he is going to be treated regardless of the biopsy, it's just that the doctor wants the biopsy done first, so he can determine whatever needs to be done regarding the inteferon treatment. Maybe dosage or something like that?
Crazy thing is, he still doesn't know how he got it. He's never injected drugs before. He thinks it might have been a tattoo he got in Japan, or when he accidentally fell into some filthy water in Taiwan, with a huge open wound.
My guess is the tattoo. It is listed as a risk factor. The doc was telling us there are some patients who have no idea how they got it - they deny any of the risk factors - but there it is. I suspect that they forgot about snorting the coke that one time - or maybe some medical procedure they never thought of as a risk.
I have to disagree with you there Deb - about a virus being a virus. They can differ greatly in how you contract them, and what they then do to you, and then how you get rid of them, if it is even possible.
HAV is easier to cure than HCV for example - and HBV and HAV are both easier to contract than HCV; there are vaccines for both A & B, but not C - and this is just the differences in Hepatitis viri. There are significant differences in geno type - which I am just learning about. Geno type 1 HCV, is harder to eradicate than genotype 2 or 3. Unfortunately it is also the most common among infected Americans.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned, but should. You can not contract this virus (HCV) in any kind of normal day to day living. Spouses of infected partners have only a 1% chance of being infected, even after 25 years of marriage. For example, My husband and I have been happily married for 24 years now - together for 26; he is believed to have contracted this virus sometime back in 76 or 77; but I have never contracted it from him.
TA Castle - I suppose my concern for your friend is apparently some doctors will not treat a patient whose liver is in bad shape - thinking it is pointless. But according to what I have learned recently, this is just not so. SO - if your friend is denied treatment they will need to be able to argue effectively in their own behalf with the doctor - or be able to shop for a more knowledgable doctor. And you need your own knowledge to be able to do that.
That being said, it is common practice to check the liver's condition prior to treatment. They do need to see what kind of shape it is in. As I understand it, in very simplistic terms - the sicker the liver the higher does of the meds. This is b/c a sick liver is harder to get the meds into - so you need a higher saturation. Now - that's just my understanding - and I could be misunderstanding a lot.
For those who doubt how pervasive this virus is in the population - everyone I have spoken to about this - every friend or family member we have confided in - has named at least one - and sometimes several other people who are fighting this virus.
If you have ever - even once - put yourself in the at risk category - please consider getting tested.
BTW - you youngsters out there - the doc was telling us he expects a massive spike in infection as a result of the common practice of Piercing. Do to the fact it is an unregulated, he expects many who have pericings to turn up infected with this virus.
