Liver cancer is difficult to treat and fatal if it is diagnosed late, which is why early detection is so important.
Tamar Taddei is part of a Department of Veterans Affairs study This is the largest clinical trial in history related to liver cancer screening.
“Early liver cancer can be treated very effectively with local treatments,” Taddei said. “It’s just a question of staying on top of it. And so this study will really help us prove that by early detection and staying on top of offering these local treatments, we can preserve liver function.” and preserve life in their patients.”
Ultrasound has long been the standard for screening patients with cirrhosis, which is the scarring of the liver caused by many different conditions. It is a major risk factor for liver cancer.
Ultrasound quality can vary depending on who is performing the procedure and the patient’s body type.
This study is looking at whether a brief MRI could be more effective at detecting cancer early.
“MRI scans can be 90 or 95% sensitive in picking up those early cancers, where ultrasound is only 60% sensitive,” said Dr. George Ioannou with the VA Paget Sound Healthcare System.
He believes that the cost of this tiny MRI could be about the same as that of an ultrasound in the future.
Veterans are at a slightly higher risk than the general population for liver disease due to risk factors such as hepatitis C, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Liver cancer is currently the sixth leading cause of cancer-related death in the US.
The trial will recruit 4,700 veterans with cirrhosis from VA medical centers across the country.
The study will follow them over eight years.
