Hepatitis C Common in Some Childhood Cancer Survivors

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

Hepatitis C Common in Some Childhood Cancer Survivors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 30 - Many children with cancer who received

contaminated blood products before hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening began

in 1992 continue to be dogged by the disease, researchers report. Overall,

" adverse outcomes do not yet exceed that seen in most adult cohorts,

although the tempo of disease does appear accelerated, " the investigators

find.

In a study that began in 1995, Dr. Hudson of St. Jude Children's

Research Hospital, Memphis and colleagues have been following 122 children

with such transfusion-acquired HCV. Their median age is currently about 29

years.

At enrollment, 81.1% showed chronic infection, mainly with genotype 1 HCV.

Liver biopsy in 60 of the patients at a median of 12.4 years after cancer

diagnosis showed that 28.8% had mild fibrosis, 35.6% had moderate fibrosis

and the remaining 13.6% had cirrhosis.

As reported in the April 1st issue of Blood, 20% of those surveyed reported

having health problems and complaints so severe that they made daily living

difficult or impaired some or all of the time.

The researchers observe that a variety of antiviral treatments have led to

clearance of HCV in 17 (44%) of the 38 patients treated to date. This

response rate is similar to that seen in other patients with chronic HCV.

Six patients have died so far. One death was due to variceal bleeding in a

patient with decompensated cirrhosis, two were from accidents and the others

were from aspiration, heart disease or a second cancer.

Blood 2004;103:2460-2466

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

Hepatitis C Common in Some Childhood Cancer Survivors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 30 - Many children with cancer who received

contaminated blood products before hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening began

in 1992 continue to be dogged by the disease, researchers report. Overall,

" adverse outcomes do not yet exceed that seen in most adult cohorts,

although the tempo of disease does appear accelerated, " the investigators

find.

In a study that began in 1995, Dr. Hudson of St. Jude Children's

Research Hospital, Memphis and colleagues have been following 122 children

with such transfusion-acquired HCV. Their median age is currently about 29

years.

At enrollment, 81.1% showed chronic infection, mainly with genotype 1 HCV.

Liver biopsy in 60 of the patients at a median of 12.4 years after cancer

diagnosis showed that 28.8% had mild fibrosis, 35.6% had moderate fibrosis

and the remaining 13.6% had cirrhosis.

As reported in the April 1st issue of Blood, 20% of those surveyed reported

having health problems and complaints so severe that they made daily living

difficult or impaired some or all of the time.

The researchers observe that a variety of antiviral treatments have led to

clearance of HCV in 17 (44%) of the 38 patients treated to date. This

response rate is similar to that seen in other patients with chronic HCV.

Six patients have died so far. One death was due to variceal bleeding in a

patient with decompensated cirrhosis, two were from accidents and the others

were from aspiration, heart disease or a second cancer.

Blood 2004;103:2460-2466

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

Hepatitis C Common in Some Childhood Cancer Survivors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 30 - Many children with cancer who received

contaminated blood products before hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening began

in 1992 continue to be dogged by the disease, researchers report. Overall,

" adverse outcomes do not yet exceed that seen in most adult cohorts,

although the tempo of disease does appear accelerated, " the investigators

find.

In a study that began in 1995, Dr. Hudson of St. Jude Children's

Research Hospital, Memphis and colleagues have been following 122 children

with such transfusion-acquired HCV. Their median age is currently about 29

years.

At enrollment, 81.1% showed chronic infection, mainly with genotype 1 HCV.

Liver biopsy in 60 of the patients at a median of 12.4 years after cancer

diagnosis showed that 28.8% had mild fibrosis, 35.6% had moderate fibrosis

and the remaining 13.6% had cirrhosis.

As reported in the April 1st issue of Blood, 20% of those surveyed reported

having health problems and complaints so severe that they made daily living

difficult or impaired some or all of the time.

The researchers observe that a variety of antiviral treatments have led to

clearance of HCV in 17 (44%) of the 38 patients treated to date. This

response rate is similar to that seen in other patients with chronic HCV.

Six patients have died so far. One death was due to variceal bleeding in a

patient with decompensated cirrhosis, two were from accidents and the others

were from aspiration, heart disease or a second cancer.

Blood 2004;103:2460-2466

[Guest guest]

MEDSCAPE

Hepatitis C Common in Some Childhood Cancer Survivors

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Apr 30 - Many children with cancer who received

contaminated blood products before hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening began

in 1992 continue to be dogged by the disease, researchers report. Overall,

" adverse outcomes do not yet exceed that seen in most adult cohorts,

although the tempo of disease does appear accelerated, " the investigators

find.

In a study that began in 1995, Dr. Hudson of St. Jude Children's

Research Hospital, Memphis and colleagues have been following 122 children

with such transfusion-acquired HCV. Their median age is currently about 29

years.

At enrollment, 81.1% showed chronic infection, mainly with genotype 1 HCV.

Liver biopsy in 60 of the patients at a median of 12.4 years after cancer

diagnosis showed that 28.8% had mild fibrosis, 35.6% had moderate fibrosis

and the remaining 13.6% had cirrhosis.

As reported in the April 1st issue of Blood, 20% of those surveyed reported

having health problems and complaints so severe that they made daily living

difficult or impaired some or all of the time.

The researchers observe that a variety of antiviral treatments have led to

clearance of HCV in 17 (44%) of the 38 patients treated to date. This

response rate is similar to that seen in other patients with chronic HCV.

Six patients have died so far. One death was due to variceal bleeding in a

patient with decompensated cirrhosis, two were from accidents and the others

were from aspiration, heart disease or a second cancer.

Blood 2004;103:2460-2466