You say that HCV is "curable." My doctor tells me it is not, but that it is manageable. Can you explain what you mean - how it can be cured, particularly in someone who is also HIV+. Thanks.

Unlike HIV and HBV, HCV does not integrate itself into the genome, your DNA. Therefore it is indeed eradicable or curable. We now have data out 10 years from the original patients treated with interferon. They are still HCV PCR negative in the blood. They are still HCV PCR negative in the liver. Finally, even better, all the liver biopsy changes that they had originally, were all resolved 10 years later and they had totally normal livers! If that is not cured, I don't know what is! Now of course it is not possible to cure everyone, but with the new pegylated interferons plus ribavirin, the "cure" rate is over 50% for the first treatment. Our group in New York has successfull eradicated HCV in over 10 HIV patients, we are submitting the paper this week. It can be done! Good luck! DTD