II. Difficulties in Treatment

II. Difficulties in Treatment

Hepatitis B is indeed a difficult-to-treat disease. The cure rate for alpha-interferon is only 12%–15%; lamivudine has a cure rate of 10%–12%, and the latest polyethylene glycol interferon has a cure rate of only 20%–30%, with a high cost that most people find hard to afford. Recently, the United States developed a drug called Adefovir, which has been copied by various countries, and China is actively conducting trials. Preliminary reports indicate that the surface antigen conversion rate can reach as high as 50% (after one year of medication), and the E antigen conversion rate can reach around 70%. While complete recovery from hepatitis B is indeed challenging, having spent over 30 years treating hepatitis B, I believe that only about 5%–10% of all hepatitis B patients become chronically ill. Chronicity refers to the development of liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, or chronic hepatitis; among these 5%–10%, most patients did not undergo systematic treatment at the onset of hepatitis B. However, patients who received systematic treatment were less likely to develop chronicity—even if the surface antigen did not turn negative, they often remained in a state of subclinical hepatitis B, with small three-positive results and no obvious symptoms. Traditional Chinese medicine and herbal remedies have unique strengths in treating hepatitis B. The formulas I developed—“Hepatitis B Scan” and “Hepatitis B Health”—aim to strengthen the body’s fundamental defenses. If taken consistently for 1–2 years, the surface antigen conversion rate can reach around 30%, and the E antigen conversion rate can reach around 60%. The cost is not very high; the total cost for two years of treatment is approximately 3,000–4,000 yuan, which is much cheaper than interferon or lamivudine—roughly equivalent to the cost of treatment. Task output rules: Translate this markdown block from Chinese to English. Preserve markdown markers, links, and formatting. Keep headings and list structure unchanged. Return only the translated block.

Input: Interferon 1/20, lamivudine 1/5. The current issue is the extensive amount of advertising and promotion.

This leads to misleading information for patients, causing many patients to fail to adhere to proper treatment plans and instead adopt a "change of mind" attitude—wasting time and money, ultimately leading to frustration and giving up, which in turn accelerates the progression of liver disease toward a chronic state.