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Expert Viewpoints

Expert Viewpoint August 2010

Melissa Palmer, MD

Importance of Adherence to HCV Regimens

Melissa Palmer, MD, discusses the association between maximal adherence to hepatitis C virus therapeutic regimens and improved response rates, along with strategies to maximize adherence rates.


Recent Advances in Therapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hugo R. Rosen, MD, discusses recent advances in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma including local ablative therapies and liver transplantation.

Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy as Complication of Advanced Liver Disease: Update From AASLD 2008

Nyingi M. Kemmer, MD, MPH; and Guy Neff, MD, MBA, discuss new data from AASLD on new therapies with improved efficacy, safety, and tolerability for hepatic encephalopathy.

Road Map for On-Treatment Management of Chronic Hepatitis B

Emmet B. Keeffe, MD, explains a newly developed “road map” that provides guidance for optimizing treatment of patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Sustained Virologic Response in HCV: Can We Say "Cure"?

David L. Thomas, MD, MPH, discusses the controversial topic of whether SVR means cure in the treatment of hepatitis C and reviews evidence from a recent study by Swain and coworkers that supports using these terms interchangeably.

The European Perspective: Pretreatment Screening for Depression and Use of Prophylactic Antidepressants in Hepatitis C

Patrick Marcellin, MD, provides regional perspectives from France on screening hepatitis C patients for depressive symptoms and strategies for preventing depression development during HCV therapy.

Management of Interferon-Induced Psychiatric Adverse Events in the US and Europe

Martin Schaefer, MD, discusses how treatment approaches for the treatment of interferon-induced psychiatric symptoms differ between the US and Europe.

A Call for Participation in the Ribavirin Pregnancy Registry

Karen L. Lindsay, MD, discusses aims and scope of the Ribavirin Pregnancy Registry for evaluating outcomes of pregnancies exposed to ribavirin either by direct maternal exposure or by indirect paternal exposure.

New Approaches and New Drugs for HBV Disease

Robert G. Gish, MD, reviews the latest data on diagnosis and treatment, including drugs in development.

Pharmacoeconomic Evidence for Treating Hepatitis B

Dr. Veenstra explores the challenges of cost-effectiveness analysis for treatment of chronic hepatitis B.

Halting or Slowing Progression of HBV Disease

Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, MD, FACP, argues that successful therapy for HBV will halt progression and, given sufficient time, may allow the liver to heal itself.

The Evolving Epidemiology and Natural History of Hepatitis B

The most important factor driving the increase in HBV prevalence in the US and Western Europe is immigration from higher prevalence regions of the world.

Treatment of Hepatitis B and C Coinfection

Drs. Keeffe and Crocket review the little studied area of HBV/HCV coinfection and provide a framework for treatment.

Staging Liver Fibrosis: Time to Abandon Liver Biopsy?

What is the prognosis for liver biopsy? Dr. Nezam Afdhal weighs the pros and cons of the noninvasive tests.

Hot Topics in Autoimmune Hepatitis

A disease which had previously been considered rare must now be included in the differential diagnosis of all patients with acute or chronic liver disease or allograft dysfunction after liver transplantation., Dr. Czaja states.

What Should Clinicians Do to Reduce HBV Drug Resistance?

Dr. Locarnini provides both a clear analysis of what leads to resistance as well as a practical approach to its avoidance.

How Should We Screen for HCC Right Now?

Dr. Jorge Marrero looks at the challenges of conducting a successful HCC screening program.

The Bioartificial Liver: A Role in Clinical Care

Dr. Scott L. Nyberg discusses the potential uses of the bioartificial liver in treating acute and chronic liver failure.

Epidemiology of Chronic Hepatitis B: Current Perspectives—Special Report from APASL

Kris V. Kowdley, MD, discusses the impact of HBV in the Asia-Pacific region, based on a special presentation from the APASL conference.

Treatment of HCV in Prison: Benefitting the Public at Large

HCV is likely the most prevalent bloodborne infection in US prisons.

Treatment of Pediatric HCV: Better Roadmaps Needed

Kathleen B. Schwarz, MD, discusses the possible roads for managing the HCV-infected child

Preventing Vertical Transmission of Hepatitis B

We know know how to prevent most perinatal transmission of hepatitis B.

Moving Toward an HCV Vaccine

Is an HCV vaccine possible? Dr. David L. Thomas, MD, MPH, rates the odds.

The Use of "Growth Factors" During Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C: Is There a Role for Erythropoietin or Filgrastim?

Adrian M. Di Bisceglie, MD, FACP, examines whether we should be using growth factors for HCV patients.

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The Role of Peginterferon and Novel Interferons in HCV Efficacy and safety of current HCV treatments and ongoing role in future HCV regimens.

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