If left untreated, there is an increased risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer. Liver failure due to HCV is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. HCV is unlike most other potentially fatal diseases or illnesses. Case histories reveal that many people have the virus for 20 to 30 years before showing any objective signs or symptoms. However, once the symptoms surface, the problems begin.
Some patients can defeat the virus with their own immune system.
Others are treated with chemotherapy and go into remission. Absent chemotherapy, the only other alternative at this time is a liver transplant, and there is still no guarantee that the HCV will not infect the new liver. HCV is usually very poor. Without going into further detail, suffice to say that HCV is a very real problem, with some very real consequences. In this day of medical specialization, it would not be uncommon for your family physician to misdiagnose HCV as a less serious illness.