HCV & Treatment "The Complete Story"

HCV is a major cause of chronic liver disease. The most recent estimates of disease burden showed an increase in seroprevalence over the last 15 years by 2.8%, equating to >185 million infections worldwide. In adults, acute HCV infection leads to chronic infection in approximately 80% of cases. Chronic HCV infection is responsible for chronic hepatitis, which is complicated by cirrhosis in approximately 20% of cases. Patients with cirrhosis are exposed to life-threatening complications, including end-stage liver disease, esophageal variceal hemorrhage and the development of hepatocellular carcinoma, which occurs at an incidence of 4%-5% per year in these patients. Chronic HCV infection has become the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (primary liver cancer) and the first indication of liver transplantation in industrialized countries. The goal of therapy is to cure HCV infection to prevent hepatic cirrhosis, decompensation of cirrhosis, HCC, severe extrahepatic manifestations, and death.