Reflections from a Hepper from the 2005 Liver Meeting
What Liver Meeting?
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) is the professional association for liver docs (gastroenterologists). It’s a very important gathering where the latest research in liver disease is presented.
Potential New Treatments
The good news out of the meeting – lots of new potentials coming from the inhibitor family of drugs. The bad news – only 1– maybe 2% of them will make it to the FDA’s phase III clinical trial phase.
I certainly gained a healthy new respect for scientists, though. Imagine working on such a potentially exciting discovery, then have an unexpected turn down the road. Yet … when it does work – that 2% – would be pretty gratifying; clearly a go-for-broke situation.
This part of the research – small molecule drug discovery – is referred to as “basic science” – a term that strikes this girl as an oxymoron.
Same Treatments, Different Day
There was also lots of information on current treatments (what the docs call “standard of care”). It would have been great if there were a lot of new doctors there, but I suspect there wasn’t. These symposia would be great to take on the road. From what I’m told about doctor-patient interactions from people living with hep C, it’s clear that there is still way too much misinformation/ignorance out there.
For example, there are people being told to go on treatment by their doctor who’ve never even had a biopsy. But then I believe that the decision of whether or not to embark on this treatment journey belongs to the person living with hep C. But ... whaddo I know?
Since it's my opinion, and everyone's entitled to it, I mentioned this to a health care practitioner at the conference. This person’s position was that a patient wouldn’t understand all the issues. … scary, huh? I explained to this person that the issues in fact could be easily explained. I’m pretty sure I was understood.
More on this meeting, next week. Till next time, take care of your health, please don't drink alcohol (if you have hep C), and take it easy …
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) is the professional association for liver docs (gastroenterologists). It’s a very important gathering where the latest research in liver disease is presented.
Potential New Treatments
The good news out of the meeting – lots of new potentials coming from the inhibitor family of drugs. The bad news – only 1– maybe 2% of them will make it to the FDA’s phase III clinical trial phase.
I certainly gained a healthy new respect for scientists, though. Imagine working on such a potentially exciting discovery, then have an unexpected turn down the road. Yet … when it does work – that 2% – would be pretty gratifying; clearly a go-for-broke situation.
This part of the research – small molecule drug discovery – is referred to as “basic science” – a term that strikes this girl as an oxymoron.
Same Treatments, Different Day
There was also lots of information on current treatments (what the docs call “standard of care”). It would have been great if there were a lot of new doctors there, but I suspect there wasn’t. These symposia would be great to take on the road. From what I’m told about doctor-patient interactions from people living with hep C, it’s clear that there is still way too much misinformation/ignorance out there.
For example, there are people being told to go on treatment by their doctor who’ve never even had a biopsy. But then I believe that the decision of whether or not to embark on this treatment journey belongs to the person living with hep C. But ... whaddo I know?
Since it's my opinion, and everyone's entitled to it, I mentioned this to a health care practitioner at the conference. This person’s position was that a patient wouldn’t understand all the issues. … scary, huh? I explained to this person that the issues in fact could be easily explained. I’m pretty sure I was understood.
More on this meeting, next week. Till next time, take care of your health, please don't drink alcohol (if you have hep C), and take it easy …
Got Hep C?
Get the straight up … here
posted by Hep C - the straightup at 4:59 PM
2 Comments:
Kathy,
Just read your piece on AASLD. I would like to add that liver doc's are most generally given the title of Hepatologist, however there are probably more GI doc's out there taking care of liver's as well.
Thanks for that, anonymous.
I agree that there is a lot of overlap in gastroenterology and hepatology. But it's my intent to write this BLOG informally.
It's the straight up. :)
Happy Turkey Day.
Hep C - the straight up.
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