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Hepatitis C Treatment Duration

The length of time a person spends in treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection depends on which type of the virus that individual has contracted, because the most common cause of HCV infection in the United States does not respond as well as less common causes to antiviral treatment. Durations of treatment is also dependent on how well an individual patient responds to treatment.

  1. Identification

    • One of the most important elements in determining how long someone will have to be treated for HCV infection is making a determination of which genotype (genetic type) of the virus has been contracted. Genotype 1 of HCV causes about 75 percent of cases in the United States, with types 2 and 3 making up most of the rest of cases, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). The genotype of the virus can be determined through laboratory analysis of a blood sample.

    Significance

    • Cases of HCV infection caused by HCV 1 do not respond as well to treatment with the antiviral drug interferon. This means that people with HCV type 1 must on average be treated twice as long with antiviral drugs that those with type two or three, namely, 48 weeks vs. 24 weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

    Testing

    • Infected individuals undergoing treatment should be tested throughout to check for the presence of the virus in the blood. Some people respond to treatment faster than others and may be able to stop treatment before the full recommended course is over, according to the CDC.

    Considerations

    • For some people with advanced cirrhosis, treatment with antiviral drugs may not be an option, according to Jorge L. Herrera, MD, of the Division of Gastroenterology at University of South Alabama College of Medicine. Although some people may not advance in liver disease, Herrera reports that others may require a liver transplant.

    Effects

    • People who do not respond to treatment with an initial course of antiviral drugs and who develop advanced disease do not respond to continued treatment with antiviral drugs, according to A.M. di Bisceglie, et al., of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine at the St. Louis University School of Medicine.

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