Brief Answer: Please follow the suggestions below... Detailed Answer: Hi, I read carefully all your father reports and I am sorry for his situation. With regards to the stage of cirrhosis he is on stage A (Child turcotte pugh classification of cirrhosis). But I need to know biochemical results (creatinine) of your father to calculate exactly MELD score of cirrhosis and to do adequate interpretation. With regards to the treatment I would suggest to continue the treatment for this reasons: 1) First, your father don't have liquid in his peritoneum, so his cirrhosis is compensated - he belong the group of patients that must be treated with medical therapy. 2) Second, he has genotype 3 of hepatitis C and in our clinical practice we say it is "good genotype" because it is sensible from treatment 3) Third, your father is 57 years, so he has a long life to live again so he will try to live with a compensate cirrhosis and the treatment will stop the damage of virus C. Hope it answers your query. Wish your father health If you have other concerns and query please feel free and write back to me. Dr.Klerida

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Brief Answer: Please follow the suggestions below... Detailed Answer: Hi again, Thank you for writing back. Yes, you are right, Stage A means the initial stage or compensated liver cirrhosis. With regards to the specific diet, I would suggest: - to avoid drinking alcohol - take more fiber - avoid constipation - less animal products (meat, etc.). The low hemoglobin level the patient is having is a side effect of taking ribavirine (antiviral), and it is not caused by the cirrhosis. The treatment suggested by his doctor was adequate as he/she wanted to start antiviral therapy (ribavirin) as soon as possible in order to get the desired results. The patient is feeling weak and fatigued due to drug therapy (especially due to interferon). However, keep in mind that his doctor has judged that the benefits he might get would be greater than the side effects. Although the presence of HCV was Nil(TND at attachment reports= not detectable), this means that the therapy did its effect and should be continued. Commonly, the injections are given for 24 weeks, but can be repeated for another 24 weeks especially in cirrhotic patients as your father. However, specifically, his curing doctor would decide based on his medical history and evolution. Next. you are worried about a possibility for the virus to be back. That is possible. However, your father should do regular check-ups with his GI specialists to control it. After 24 weeks of end of treatment, the test of HCV RNA will be repeated, and the result would be determinant in evaluating any possible re-activation of the virus or Nil again. In my opinion, as long as the test resulted Nil until now, there are good chances to be Nil again. You are asking to move to another country. Please bare in mind that HCV is an infectious disease not being transmitted through respiratory neither food manners. However, it depends on the current country laws. So, you can ask the public health institution in your country for such traveling citing that you want to follow up your father at your own country. All the best to all of you! Dr. Klerida

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