The treatment process

Last updated:12December2007

This is to give you an idea of what treatment consists of, in terms of time and tests so that you can plan your life around it. It gives the usual process but it may vary slightly from hospital to hospital and from individual to individual (if for one reason or another you require closer monitoring, for example). There is a general but slow move away from requiring a biopsy before treatment. Typically, genotypes 2 and 3 other than cirrhotics are treated for 24 weeks and everyone else for 48 weeks. For a detailed explanation of the tests, see Testing.

Timing		What happens
Pre-pre-start of treatment		Consultant explains what is involved Genotype test to decide the length of treatment Liver biopsy to determine the extent of liver damage (not always necessary especially in geno 2 & 3)
During month before treatment		Consultant goes through results of biopsy and genotyping Blood tests (for comparison with later tests) including: Viral load Full blood count (FBC) Thyroid function Liver function test (LFT)
Start of treatment		Pick up first months supply of medicine Nurse shows you how and where to inject Repeat blood tests for FBC, thyroid function and LFT
Once a week for first month		Repeat blood tests for FBC, thyroid function and LFT Nurse goes through results with particular attention to: thyroid function neutrophils platelets haemoglobin ALT and AST
Once a fortnight for months 2 and 3		Repeat blood tests for FBC, thyroid function and LFT Nurse goes through results with particular attention to: thyroid function neutrophils platelets haemoglobin ALT and AST
Once a month		Repeat blood tests for FBC, thyroid function and LFT
till end of treatment		Nurse goes through results with particular attention to: thyroid function neutrophils platelets haemoglobin ALT and AST
After 12 weeks		Viral load test (quantitative PCR) to see if treatment is working (if genotype 1, 4, 5 or 6)
End of treatment (24 weeks for type 2/3, 48 for type 1)		Qualitative PCR to see if virus is detectable
3 months after end of treatment		Qualitative PCR to make sure virus remains undetectable
6 months after end of treatment		Qualitative PCR to make sure virus remains undetectable. If the virus is undetectable at this point, this is a sustained virological response (SVR)