However, HCC that is caught early has a much better chance of being cured. Although screening can lead to earlier detection, most patients are diagnosed when the cancer is advanced and often incurable. People who have risk factors are recommended to get screened for HCC every six months with an ultrasound with or without a blood test for alpha-fetoprotein.īut not everyone with risk factors for HCC will develop the disease. The method is relatively simple and inexpensive, and it only requires a small blood sample,” said the study’s leader, Xin Wei Wang, Ph.D., co-leader of the NCI Center for Cancer Research (CCR) Liver Cancer Program.Ĭertain factors increase a person’s chances of developing HCC, such as infection with hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus or cirrhosis of the liver. It could help doctors find and treat HCC early. “Together with existing screening tests, the new test could play an important role in screening people who are at risk for developing HCC. The findings were published June 10 in Cell. The study also involved researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and several academic centers. The approach uses a simple blood test to check for the patient’s previous exposure to certain viruses.Ī study of the new approach was led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. Scientists have developed a new test that can help identify people who are likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. Credit: Jinping Liu, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
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