NIH Consensus Statement (cont’d)
“Treatment is recommended for the group of patients…who are at greatest risk for progression to cirrhosis. These patients are characterized by persistently elevated ALT, positive HCV RNA, and a liver biopsy with either portal or bridging fibrosis and at least moderate degrees of inflammation and necrosis.”
“It should be recognized that although interferon treatment may be associated with favorable effects on biochemical and virological markers, its effects on important clinical outcomes such as quality of life and disease progression remain undetermined.”