Opinions requested:

So I had my last shot last Friday - #48, and the Riba winds up this
coming Friday.

I saw the ENT Monday.  After I mention how happy I am to be done, he
brings up the subject of going 60 weeks!  For the first time.

I said, we had always said 48 weeks.  So he looked closer at the file,
and said based on my lab results to date, 48 would be fine.

First I was glad to not get a a surprise 12-week extension.

But then after I left, I was concerned because I'd rather do 60 weeks
than do finish 48, not get SVR, and have to do 48 again!

I looked up some peer-reviewed papers published in medical journals, and
it seemed to say that RVR (Rapid Viral Response) (2-log drop in 4 weeks)
got no benefit from more than 48 weeks, and same deal for those with EVR
(Early Viral Response) who had under 50 iU/ml after 12 weeks, but those
with EVR > 50 iU/ml after 12 weeks benefited by going 72 weeks (78% for
that group at 48 weeks and 84% at 72 weeks).

I think I'm in the RVR group.  My pre-treatment PCR was 1 year earlier,
so the virus count was probably a bit higher by the time I started
treatment, and my 4 week PCR was done at 3 1/2 weeks.  My log drop was
1.98 which I consider as 2 under the circumstances.

At 12 weeks I was at 52 iU/ml, pretty close to their <50 standard for 48
weeks.

My alts have been normal since 24 weeks.

Here's the treatment summary:

TREATMENT SUMMARY

Weeks
Done    Date        PCR iU/ml     Log10   Log Drop
---------------------------------------------------
-393    09-22-2005  1,300,000     6.11    n/a
-268    01-25-2006  LIVER BIOPSY (see below)

START OF TREATMENT
  0     10-20-2006  FIRST INJECTION & RIBA DOSE

  3.5   11-14-2006  13,400        4.13    2.00
  12.5  01-16-2007  52            1.72    4.39
  27    04-27-2007  NOT DETECTED  0       6.11

  47    09-14-2007  LAST INJECTION
  48    09-21-2007  LAST RIBA DOSE - END OF TREATMENT

+  2    10-05-2007  SCHEDULED PCR - POST END OF TREATMENT
+ 13    12-21-2007  SCHEDULED PCR - 3 MONTH
+ 26    03-21-2008  SCHEDULED PCR - 6 MONTH

Notes

The 9-22-2005 test was: NGI Super Quant,
sensitivity:  "1 copy to 10ul reaction"

All other PCR's were COBAS TaqMan HCV,
sensitivity:  25 to 25,000,000

BIOPSY DETAILS FROM 01-25-2006
"Sections show a mildly active chronic hepatitis
consistent with hepatitis C. There is at least
bridging fibrosis with degenerative nodule
formation, although the possibility of early
cirrhoeis cannot be excluded. There is no apparent
dysplasia, nor any evidence for malignancy.

"No abnormal iron deposition

"LIVER, CORE NEEDLE BIOPSY,
- CHRONlC ACTIVE HEPATITIS,
  MlLDLY ACTIVE (GRADE 2 0f 4).
- CONSISTENT WlTH HEPATITIS C.
- BRIDGING FIBROSIS (STAGE 3 OF 4); CANNOT
  EXCLUDE EARLY CIRRHOSIS.
- NEGATIVE FOR DYSPLASIA AND MALIGNANCY.

"The findings appear comparable to the previous biopsy of 2001."