What if the treatment doesn't work?
Treatment is regarded as a success if Hepatitis C cannot be
detected in your blood 6 months after treatment. This is referred
to as a Sustained Viral Response (SVR) and means you have cleared
the virus. However, treatment is not successful for everyone.
People who fail to clear the virus are often referred to
as non-responders or relapsers.
Non-responder
A person who after treatment has detectable virus (HCV RNA
positive) at the end of treatment.
Relapsers
A person with no detectable virus at the end of treatment but
for whom the virus can then be detected (HCV RNA
positive) 6 months after treatment.
Retreatment
If treatment doesn't work first time, you will be able to talk
to your doctor about trying again. You may be considered for
retreatment depending on you previous response and course of
treatment. Then, the drugs, dosage and length of treatment are
altered to offer an increased chance of success.
Notably, if you were previously given non-pegylated Interferon
as part of your treatment, it is recommended that you be considered
for retreatment with pegylated Interferon and ribavirin as the
treatment of choice for chronic Hepatitis C.