Methods: Patients who meet eligibility criteria will be stratified by race and randomized to one of two treatment arms, and all patients will have viral kinetics measured by quantitative PCR at weeks 4,8,12,16,20 and 24. Patients in treatment arm A will follow "standard" stopping rules, i.e., if there is not a 2-log drop in viremia by 12 weeks the treatment will be discontinued, otherwise they will all receive 52 weeks of treatment if they also are qualitative PCR negative by week 24. In treatment arm B the patients will be monitored monthly until they have a virologic response (defined as >2 log drop in viral levels from baseline) by quantitative PCR for up to 24 weeks. Once they have a virologic response by quantitative PCR their treatment will be continued for an additional 48 weeks. In both groups, treatment will be stopped if the patients do not become negative for HCV RNA by qualitative PCR by 24 weeks on therapy. A total of 192 patients at up to 10-20 sites will be recruited. The primary endpoint would be the number who achieve a sustained virologic response; secondary endpoints are the percentage of patients who complete therapy, have significant adverse events, and the relationship of early virologic response at each 4 week period between 4 and 24 weeks and those who achieve a sustained virologic response.