The appearance of cirrhosis in marrow transplant survivors appears to be due mostly to hepatitis C virus infection, but other factors may accelerate the process, such as alcohol use and excessive iron in the liver. Compared to non-transplant patients who are infected with the hepatitis C virus, the progression to cirrhosis may be faster in marrow transplant survivors. Treatment for hepatitis C virus infection Treatment options for those infected by the hepatitis C virus are improving all the time. Recent research has shown that the combination of interferon-alpha and ribavirin can eliminate hepatitis C virus from the blood stream and improve the liver inflammation caused by the virus. This combination therapy is effective in up to half of patients, including those who have previously received interferon-alpha alone at relatively low doses.
Treatment needs to be continued for up to a year.
Some patients have unpleasant side effects from the medicine. The most common are flu-like symptoms, a sense of fatigue and depression. There are other potential complications as well, and patients must be carefully watched during treatment. As a result, no one knows how safe and effective the combination of interferon-alpha and ribavirin is in treating marrow transplant patients infected by hepatitis C virus. The chance that you are infected with hepatitis C virus is greater if you were transplanted before the early 1990s.