Nowadays most of my blog posts are inspired by emails I get from folk about their Hepatitis C experiences; having Hep C and the process of getting rid of it…because I have been cured for more than two years now my Hep C experiences are all about helping others access treatment and helping them through the process of the cure. One of the biggest issues with Hepatitis C is the development of liver fibrosis/cirrhosis and ultimately liver cancer.
One of the things that keeps coming up is how well the liver can heal itself once the virus is removed from the equation.
One of the big problems from having Hepatitis C is our liver getting scarred by the Hep C virus. This scar tissue leads to fibrosis of the liver and eventually to cirrhosis. Fibrosis, the scar tissue, is also where liver cancer, HCC, begins.
So having any level of fibrosis leads to an increased risk of HCC, the more scar tissue in your liver the higher the level of cirrhosis.
Increased fibrosis levels also affect the liver’s functioning. The more scar tissue the less functioning liver tissue is available. So not only does fibrosis increase the chance of liver cancer it also impair the livers functions.
Fibrosis is rated by a score that begins at F0 (no fibrosis) and rises to F4 (cirrhosis). Cirrhosis has long been regarded as the “end” … the point of no return. Liver functions are ruined and chance of developing liver cancer high.
But this perception is changing because the very good news is that once the Hep C virus is removed many people are reporting that the liver is healing better than was expected. People with cirrhosis (F4) are finding that their liver fibrosis levels return to F2 or F1. The chance of liver cancer reduces by more than 70% and the liver functions return to normal. Good health.
Click here to read two emails I received recently.
