Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Although the incidence of new HCV cases is declining, the number of patients with complications of chronic HCV continues to rise. The prevalence of HCV infection worldwide is 3% (170 million people), with infection rates in North America ranging from 1 to 2% of the population. The impact of HCV is being felt in the offices of primary care physicians, hepatologists (specialists in liver disease), and liver transplant programs. A simulation analysis estimated that in the period from 1998 to 2008 there will be an increase of 92% in the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver, resulting in a 126% increase in the incidence of liver failures and a 102% increase in the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), all attributed to HCV, placing an increasing burden on the health care system.