Treatment for chronic hepatitis C

Approximately four million Americans have been exposed to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and are anti-HCV positive; almost three million are chronically infected and HCV RNA positive. Treatment for chronic hepatitis C has improved rapidly over the past 12 years from interferon monotherapy, with a sustained virologic response (SVR) rate of about 10% in the early 1990s, to current therapy with PEG (polyethylene glycol) interferon plus ribavirin, with SVR rates of about 55% to 60%. Three important papers relating to the treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis C were published in Fall 2002 and are the subject of this commentary.