Lymphoma link to hep c

[Tammra]

Just looking for anyone else out there who developed non-hodgkins lymphoma while waiting for treatment.
 I had read in a few studies that having hep c increases your chances of developing lymphoma by like 35-40  percent. My 2 gastro docs believe this is true; however; my oncologist refuses to admit this was the cause of my cancer. He states that there is no proof or evidence that there is any link between the two.
 I had a viral load of 49 million for about 2 years. I read about something called "antigenic stimulation", I think it's called. Basically, it said the constant battle of your immune system against the virus causes your lymphocytes to keep producing more and more until they go crazy pretty much because they can't kill the virus and become malignant.  I think my high viral load from this virus caused my cancer. Lymphoma is cancer of the lymph nodes. I had diffuse large B-cell DLBCL.
Does anyone have any experience with this?
Thank you for any insights.

[lporterrn]

Hi Tammra,
I've lost count of how many people I've know with hep C and B-cell lymphoma.  It''s a common disease. Connected - absolutely. But can your oncologist prove it? No. Here is the other thing, is that I've also known a lot of people who don't have hep C who were diagnosed with NHL. It's one of the most common cancers in the U.S. We have a one in 50 risk of developing it.
Still, if I were in your shoes, I'd be counting the days until I was cured of hep C.

[lporterrn]

Hi Tammra - I saw this today and thought of you: http://www.healio.com/hepatology/hepatitis-c/news/online/%7B78683a94-c60b-4fe9-ba2d-dcbc0c129dcb%7D/mild-liver-disease-common-at-lymphoma-diagnosis-in-hcv-patients?sc_trk=internalsearch

[Tammra]

Thanks Lucinda. The article was interesting.
Makes me wonder if my chances of clearing this might be different because of the chemo also. I hate that there is just not enough info out there.
It's like there's a light at the end of the tunnel, we just have to feel our way through the dark to get there.....if that makes any sense.
Hope everyone is well. I have quite the headache right now, AND realized I bought the wrong acetaminophen. I got the arthritis strength 650mg timed release. Ugh..you really have to read the label.

[lporterrn]

Hi Tammra,
A couple of comments:
1) your chances of responding to hep C treatment are no different because of the chemo
2) I am not sure what your concern is about the acetaminophen (perhaps the extended release doesn't work for your headaches?), but from a liver point of view, that is a good choice - the extended release is liver-friendly.

Hope your headache is gone by now!

[Tammra]

Thank you, Lucinda.
 I have wondered about the effects of the chemo on my tx, since I ended back in March..6mths is not very long really.
I am so afraid of the lymphoma coming back (I still have my port), I want to hurry and kill this virus. That will give me huge peace of mind, not to mention quality of life.
Also, I didn't know I could take the long acting tylenol..ty.
I feel better now, Week 2 of Sovaldi Olysio, than I did the months after chemo. Still no appetite, but my energy most days is through the roof. I feel new and improved already. I can't wait to get my viral load back on fri.

[bwelsh]

Yes my Mother had hep C and developed non bodkins lymphoma in 2007.  Her lymphoma was treated successfully and she was in full remission when she started her treatment for Sovaldi.  I would seriously caution you to start Sovaldi if you have had cancer as we believe that Sovaldi triggered a new form of cancer in my Mom, some kind of blood cancer.

She started her Sovaldi treatment in April 2014.  At the time, she was completely in remission from her lymphoma.  In May, she became very ill.  The doctors could not find out what was wrong... but she was determined to finish her treatment which she did in early June.  She continued to get sick and was hospitalized in July with thick blood, low platelets, and bad plasma.  We attribute all of this to Sovaldi.

She never got better... she was constantly bleeding out of her nose, needing platelets, and plasma.  On 10/7/14 while in the hospital for a blood treatment, she had a massive stroke to her brainstem which left her brain dead.  We took her home and she died last Monday. 

I would caution anyone with any underlying health issue to start this medicine, we are convinced it killed our mother.

[bwelsh]

I see you already started the treatment.  Just please be cautious and if you are feeling really sick, please go to the doctor and don't accept that it's a side affect like we did

Be persistent... if we could go back in time, we would force my mother to stop treatment, but we had no idea it would end up like this.

[TerryFox]

These are symptoms I have had from severe liver disease. I could bleed out and die very easily before I got tx with Solvadi/Olysio.

"she was constantly bleeding out of her nose, needing platelets, and plasma." 

Was your mom on ribavirin and or Interferon with Solvadi?

[TerryFox]

Did your mom have varices that popped and were bleeding internally without you knowing?  It is part of the liver disease. Did she have an endoscopy and other tests before treatment began to check for varices ready to pop and to get 'banding'? Your mom underwent treatment for cancer and right after that she went on the combo-which one you didn't say-just "Solvadi" .
Going on the Hep treatment so soon after cancer tx blows my mind. Oh my.
Hang in there.