Hepatitis C Drugs Provide ‘Cure’
There is a very curious article produced by the BBC today on their BBC News Online site. It is headed Hepatitis C Drugs Provide ‘Cure’.
It follows a Press Release from VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University) that Hepatologist, Mitchell Shiffman, M.D., professor in the VCU School of Medicine, and chief of hepatology and medical director of the Liver Transplant Program at the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, presented his research following up patients to the 38th annual Digestive Disease Week conference in Washington, D.C last week.
The article leads off in bold saying:
People infected with hepatitis C can be cured with existing treatments, researchers have discovered.
What is curious about the article is that it has been known for some time that people with Hepatitis C can be cured with existing treatments. I myself successfully went through treatment in 2004/2005. The BBC did an interview with me during my treatment
At a post treatment follow-up (nine months after successfully completing the treatment) my Consultant Hepatologist advised me there would be a less than 1% chance of the virus recurring and I was duly discharged from hospital care. That was in 2006.
While I am pleased that the media is conveying accurate information about Hepatitis C it is somewhat misleading to present all this as ‘breaking news’ when there has been a good rate of outcome on treatment for some time now.
The only new element in this material is the use of the word “cure”. After seven years tracking 1000 patients someone has decided to shift from the cautious phrase “cleared the virus” to using the word “cure”.
This shift in terminology is the ‘breaking news’ - emphasis on this aspect would have made the BBC article stronger and more accurate news. And not using parentheses around the word cure in the headline would have demonstrated that ‘they got it’. As well as contacting The Hepatitis C Trust, it would have been useful to also hear from the British medical establishment to ascertain if they have accepted the news that this research now justifies the use of the term “cure” in describing the successful outcome of treatment.
So is it official then? Can I describe myself as cured of Hepatitis C?
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:36 pm
You should know that you are one of the lucky ones. I have not been cleared, cured, or anything from the treatment. I agree with your post that the word “cure” is the key in this statement. It is the irresponsible use of the word that has me quite angry right now.
May 23rd, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Hi Donald
I do feel very fortunate about the outcome of my treatment - and I am truly sorry you were not successful in your treatment (this time). But that doesn’t mean I don’t share a common sense of anger about the lot of those of us affected by HepC (and I am still affected by it)(until I am officially declared cured). I feel a bit cynical that someone presents a paper at an American Digestive Disease conference and that generates and constitutes “news”.
The item has stirred up and confused those with HepC and probably does very little for the education of the public at large. Probably wouldn’t encourage or inspire anyone to get tested or start treatment.
May 29th, 2007 at 6:09 am
For those looking for easy to understand information on Hepatitis C, I found a new web site called http://www.URLremoved by ron .com.
May 29th, 2007 at 9:19 am
William
You “found” a new web site? Looks like it is your site as your email address is the same as the site.
There are a couple of inaccurate pieces of information about HepC - there may be more but I didn’t check the sections on ears, staph, urinary, kidney infections, etc.
One such error - it says HepC can’t be cured! You’ve posted under an article about cures.
Your site also has too many ads for my liking - I don’t do links to business sites.
So not surprisingly I have removed the web address and your email address.
June 1st, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Hi Ron,
just a quick note to say I am back blogging and going on tx next week hope you are keeping well, speak soon. Steve
June 6th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Hi steve
Good to hear from you - good news about starting the treatment journey next week!
Off to your blog for a visit now
Wishing you well
Ron
June 9th, 2007 at 11:48 am
Ron
afraid it all looks like coming down to sloppy journalism and Shiffman fooling the press. I had just unsuccesfully come off interferon after yet another failed attempt and folks who read the Uk Sun and Daily Express popular press were bringing this ‘wonder cure’ to my attention. Turns out the wonder cure is that which has been around for some time and good to see it works for some but Shiffman’s self protion skills seem better than his science when low grade gullible ignorant journalists are around.
All the best, Bill.
June 11th, 2007 at 10:50 am
Hi Bill
Sorry to hear that you didn’t win the battle - wishing you success on winning the war however. They say that even a failed attempt still gives your liver a rest from the virus, so there is some positive.
Yeah, journalists. In my little experience of dealing with them, they are usually as uneducated as most of the general public - so usually on a quick learning curve in order to write their story. Sometimes the subtlety does escape some I guess - and that’s where the likes of Shiffman play them at their game!!
Shame it has such negative ripples for those affected by the virus.
Ron
July 15th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Ron, I spent some time with Dr. Shiffman when he did my friend’s 7 year post treatment biopsy. He was quite upset about the article and was misquoted. However, he made those statements when the trial information that he was waiting for, no further liver disease, and still undetected, 5 years post treatment, became available. I just don’t see how this is bothering all those patients. Dr. Shiffman is an incredible hepatologist and any patient would be fortunate to be under his excellent care. I wish I lived closer to Medical College of Virginia.
July 16th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Hi Susie
Thanks for the clarification and testimonial about Dr Shiffman. I believe people can be mis-represented by the press.
These articles look like they were written by uninformed journalists. The “big news” looks like a cure has been found. That has led some people (particularly those on treatment) to be confused about the status of their combination therapy treatment - which is exactly the same one being referred to in the article. Several people wrote about this on the Forum.
However, I can accept that Dr Shiffman has been “sinned against” rather than “sinning” himself. Most hepatologists are committed and skilled.
Ron
August 25th, 2007 at 6:04 am
I started the treatments in June…I don’t really know much about it other than it makes me really sick. I have Hep c type 2 if that makes any sense. My dr. is here in San Diego, and seems very hopeful, but I am real tired of being sick.
This is the first time I have been on a blog, so if I make mistakes, sorry.
Sandi
August 27th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
Hi Sandi
Sorry to hear you are feeling really sick on the treatment. It does seem to affect us all in different ways - as your doctor has probably told you. I hope you can hang on in there as you must be coming up to about half way through the treatment now, I reckon. Then it will be time to count down the weeks to the end. Your doctor is right to be very hopeful as geno 2’s seem to have very good otucome statistics.
Wishing you well
Ron