Can a Genetic Test Improve Hepatitis C Treatment?
Currently, patients with hepatitis C face a long road of expensive treatments, but a new test may make sorting out who needs this treatment a little easier. A genetic test has been developed to predict which patients with hepatitis C will develop cirrhosis, or scarring, of the liver, a serious side effect of the disease that often leads to the need for a liver transplant. Since treatment for hepatitis C is costly and comes with serious side effects, this screening test may allow doctors to sort out who is most in need of immediate treatment and who can wait. “Use of this information to select and treat the patients at highest risk for progression earlier may help prevent irreversible liver damage,” said Kathy Ordonez, president of Celera Genomics, the company that developed the test. In many patients, hepatitis C causes no symptoms and may never cause any liver damage. However, the disease can also cause a chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. Of t
