HCV+ Baby Boomers with HCC increasing demand for Liver Transplant; may force changes in treatment plans

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The December, 2012 issue of the journal Liver Transplantation discusses the rapidly-increasing demand for liver transplant among HCV+ Americans born between 1941 and 1960. 4% of this birth cohort is HCV+, compared to 1% for the US population as a whole. As this HCV+ population ages, the dangers of advanced cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) increase dramatically. 41% of those on the liver transplant list are HCV+, and of these the number who also have HCC has quadrupled between 2000 and 2010. Because of this, the authors conclude that this increasing demand for liver transplant “from an aging HCV-infected population will challenge the transplant community to reconsider current treatment paradigms.” For abstract (and link to purchase full article) see: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lt.23551/abstract

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