Hello,
Over time Hep C can lead to liver cancer, but that does not mean that you have cancer now. Between 1 percent and 5 percent of people with HCV eventually develop liver cancer.
As far as how long you will live, this is best discussed with your physician as I do not access to your detailed medical history. You overall physical condition and any other medical conditions are all factors.
I feel the #1 myth related to Hep C is that patients believe they are going to die. Not true!! One of the most difficult aspects of counseling people with regard to hepatitis C is the varied course that the disease may take from one person to the next. This can be a result of multiple factors including: lifestyle decisions such as the consumption of alcohol, underlying health conditions, which may suppress the immune system, such as diabetes or HIV, the time of infection with the virus, and the strength of the strain of virus with which a person is infected. The virus can run a relatively short course to liver destruction in a few brief years or the virus can infect a person for more than 60 years without that person developing liver failure. This variance in symptoms makes decisions with regard to managing hepatitis C difficult, as they must be individualized. One way in which these decisions can be individualized is through analysis of information obtained on routine serum blood test, through physical examination and a detailed review of body systems, and, finally, through the gold standard for assessing the extent of liver disease - the liver biopsy. The liver biopsy affords the opportunity to look at a piece of the liver under a microscope and assess exactly the extent of liver damage.
Make a list of questions as you think of them and ask your doctor at your next appointment.
Here is some infomation, please let me know if you have any other questions. I will be online awhile longer.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hepatitis-c/DS00097
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/liver-cancer/DS00399
http://hepatitis-central.com/__________________
