Blood-based biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma screening: Approaching the end of the ultrasound era?

ABSTRACT: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, in part because of inadequate early detection strategies. Current recommendations for screening consist of semi-annual abdominal ultrasound with or without serum alpha-fetoprotein in patients with cirrhosis and in demographic subgroups with chronic hepatitis B infection. However, this screening strategy has several deficiencies, including suboptimal early-stage sensitivity, false positives with subsequent harms, inter-operator variability in ultrasound performance, and poor adherence. A blood-based biomarker with sufficient performance characteristics for early-stage disease could overcome several of these barriers to improving early-stage detection. However, prior to use of a biomarker for screening in cl

SUBMITTER: Parikh ND 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10229257 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature