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Published in Gastroenterology
Journal Scan / Research · September 16, 2021
Benefits and Harms of HCC Surveillance in Patients With Cirrhosis
Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology
1 Expert Comment
TAKE-HOME MESSAGE
This is an interesting study conducted over an 18-month period looking at both the benefits and harms of HCC surveillance in a prospective cohort of 614 patients with cirrhosis. The benefits were characterized as early HCC detection and curative treatment, whereas harms were diagnostic procedures for false or indeterminate results. Of cases of HCC that developed over the course of the study, 61.5% were found during a surveillance examination. Virtually no harm occurred to patients during surveillance.
Interestingly, curative treatment and stage at diagnosis did not differ significantly between the surveillance group and those without. Further several multicenter studies need to be conducted in large cohorts over longer follow-up to confirm the favorable risk-benefit ratio.
– Natasha VonRoenn, MD
Written by
Daniel Geh MBChB, BMedSci, MRCP
Written by
Helen Reeves BMBS, PhD, FRCP
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and dreaded complication of liver cirrhosis, with the value of surveillance in at-risk populations frequently debated.1 While surveillance has the potential to increase the detection of early-stage/ asymptomatic HCCs that can be treated curatively, this needs to be cost-effective and balanced against the potential harms of false-positive results. Singal et al., report an HCC incidence of 2.8% (26 HCCs in 614 patients over 18 months) in a carefully selected cohort of fit cirrhotic patients undergoing surveillance in a safety-net healthcare setting. Encouragingly, 62.5% were detected at an early stage (BCLC 0/A), with 44% offered curative therapy. Although the majority were detected by surveillance (16; 61.5%), there was no significant difference in early-stage detection between those detected by surveillance or those detected incidentally/presenting symptomatically (62.5% vs 50%) – possibly reflecting the lack of consistent formal surveillance during the study period, but also the setting in which the study was conducted, with relatively high numbers of visits to primary care providers.
Minimal ‘physical harms’ were reported, with 54 patients (8.8%) requiring additional scans consequent to a false positive surveillance result. These were largely attributed to false-positive findings on abdominal ultrasound scans (USS) – known to have greater sensitivity than specificity.2 Notably though, 4/16 HCCs in this series were detected by alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) alone, fueling further the debate of the role of USS alone versus USS+AFP as surveillance tools. The lack of ‘physical harms’ is highlighted in a positive fashion by the authors, although of course, these do not consider cost-effectiveness or the psychological and cost burdens to patients.
Perhaps the positive take-home messages here are: (1) fit patients with cirrhosis who are under regular follow-up by primary care or hepatology physicians, are more likely to have their HCC detected at an early stage - despite the relatively disappointing performance of formal HCC surveillance programs - coming to minimal physical harm; (2) there is room for major improvement.
References
Geh D, Rana FA, Reeves HL. Weighing the benefits of hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance against potential harms. J Hepatocell Carcinoma. 2019;6:23-30. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHC.S159581
EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines: Management of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Hepatol. 2018; 69(1):182-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2018.03.019
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