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Author Topic: Liver biopsy before treatment?  (Read 9175 times)

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Offline Brucifer

  • Newbie
  • Posts: 1
Liver biopsy before treatment?
« on: June 29, 2016, 08:36:50 am »
I've had two liver biopsy's 10 years apart and both were the same (score 1), My last was about 5 years ago, Now that there is better treatments I'm considering treating, I was wondering if a liver biopsy was mandatory before treating?, I really don't want to go through that again!, Is there a non invasive option? 

Offline BillT

  • Member
  • Posts: 573
Re: Liver biopsy before treatment?
« Reply #1 on: June 29, 2016, 10:25:07 am »
Hi Brucifer,
               Most of the time they'll just do a scan, Fibroscan and such.Things have changed a lot in 5 years so(And I'm not a doctor)there shouldn't be a need for one.
Contracted 1973 Military
Diagnosed 1980
Pegintron treatment 2004 unsucessful
Genotype 1b
FibroScan 10 (F2)
Start Viekira 10.17.2015

AST 40 ALT 69
VL 440k
10.31.2015/Week 2 Labs : AST 14/ALT 17
No VL done
10.14.2015/Week 4 labs : AST 14/ALT 14
VL UNDETECTED!!!
12.11.2015/Week 8 Labs : AST 12/ALT 13
No VL done
01.05.2016/EOT labs : AST 15/ALT 13
VL UNDETECTED!!!

12 WEEK SRV:UN-BLOODY DETECTABLE !!!!!!!!

24 WEEK SVR:UNDETECTABLE!!!! Thank You God.

Fibroscan 6Mo. Post Treatment 7.15.2016-5.3(F1)

Offline yag1064

  • Member
  • Posts: 58
  • Enjoy the life you have.
Re: Liver biopsy before treatment?
« Reply #2 on: June 29, 2016, 10:35:58 am »
Hi Brucifer,
    Welcome to the forum. I don't think it is needed with that low of a score. Also here is an article from Liver.ca

Do liver biopsies ever need to be repeated?

In most circumstances, a liver biopsy is only performed once to confirm a suspected diagnosis of chronic liver disease. Occasionally, liver biopsy is repeated if the clinical condition changes or to assess the results of medical therapy, such as drug treatment of chronic viral hepatitis or autoimmune hepatitis. Patients who have undergone liver transplantation often require numerous liver biopsies in the early weeks to months following the surgery to allow accurate diagnosis of whether the new liver is being rejected or whether other problems have developed.
   I only had one and was treated several times. The non invasive data is getting better. Fibro-scan ultrasound is used non invasive.

  Fare well on journey to get cured. Keep us informed...
Tested positive 2007
Non respond-er to treatment 16wk of 48wk
Started I/R/Sol May 2014
Hep C returned as of Jan 2015
Started Harvoni Sep 16, 2015
1st Test V/L:20
2nd Test V/L: undetectable
Dec 2015 EOT V/L undetectable
12 wk SVR :undetectable  Mar 25,2016
24 wk SVR: undetectable  Jun 24,2016
52 wk SVR undetectable   Dec 16,2016   -- I,m past it!!!
Shambhala

Offline Lynn K

  • Global Moderator
  • Member
  • Posts: 4,544
  • Get tested, get treated, get cured, fight Hep c!
Re: Liver biopsy before treatment?
« Reply #3 on: June 29, 2016, 08:51:45 pm »
Over my years of having hep c I had a liver biopsy every 5 years I went from F1 to F2 to F3 to finally F4 in Jan 2008. My doctor has a fibroscan so I did that in case my insurance required me to confirm my cirrhosis diagnosis.

Unless you insurance needs to see you have advanced liver disease in order to approve your prescription I would not think you would need a biopsy or even a fibroscan if your doctor has access to a machine. Many insurance companies were denying treatment unless the patient had F3 of F4 fibrosis but I have heard they have loosened those requirements.

Best of luck to you
Lynn
Genotype 1a
1978 contracted, 1990 Dx
1995 Intron A failed
2001 Interferon Riba null response
2003 Pegintron Riba trial med null response
2008 F4 Cirrhosis Bx
2014 12 week Sov/Oly relapse
10/14 fibroscan 27 PLT 96
2014 24 weeks Harvoni 15 weeks Riba
5/4/15 EOT not detected, ALT 21, AST 20
4 week post not detected, ALT 26, AST 28
12 week post NOT DETECTED (07/27/15)
ALT 29, AST 27 PLT 92
24 week post NOT DETECTED! (10/19/15)
44 weeks (3/11/16)  fibroscan 33, PLT 111, HCV NOT DETECTED!
I AM FREE!

Offline Coach Mike

  • Member
  • Posts: 292
    • Affordable Hepatitis C Treatment
Re: Liver biopsy before treatment?
« Reply #4 on: July 03, 2016, 01:59:32 pm »
My GI at the UAMS Liver Clinic uses the Fibrosure blood test. It matched closely with my biopsy results from the prior year.
cm
Genotype 1a, Biopsy:11/2014: F-1, Tx Naive
Fibrosure, 7/20/15: F-1-2
Pre tx v/l: 1,600,000, ALT: 75, AST: 48
Started generic sofosbuvir & ledipasvir: 10/23/15
4 wk labs: 11/19/15, ALT: 21, AST: 16, V/L:  UND
Started 8 week Harvoni tx: 11/20/15
8 wk labs, 12/15/15, ALT: 15, AST: 13, V/L: UND
4/11/16 12 week EOT-Undetected
7/5/16 SVR 24

 


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