Long term Consequences of Hepatitis C Infection

What is the chance of developing liver damage?

The virus does cause damage in some people. This is called fibrosis. A lot of people only have a very little damage even after years of infection. However some people have worse damage and some develop it more quickly. These people may need treatment

What is cirrhosis?

In a small proportion of people the damage becomes so bad that the liver cannot recover. This is called cirrhosis. The liver is still able to work but will need looking after and monitoring carefully. About 10 – 20 people out of 100 develop cirrhosis over a period of 20 – 30 years.

Can I get liver cancer?

About 1 – 3 people in every 100 who have cirrhosis could develop cancer of the liver each year. To make sure that we are able to detect this early you would have regular ultra sound scans and blood tests (alpha feto protein).