Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis by alphafetoprotein, ultrasound and fine-needle biopsy.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may be detected at a relatively early stage in patients with liver cirrhosis regularly followed by screening programs using ultrasonography (US) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) measurement. Using both tests in 214 consecutive cirrhotic patients with no clinical signs of liver cancer, we detected HCC in 20 cases (9.4%). The sensitivity of US was greater (85%) than that of AFP (75%), and the combination of the two methods had a sensitivity of 100%. Only 50% of patients with focal liver lesions at US had a final diagnosis of HCC that was obtained in the majority of cases by US-guided fine needle biopsy.
Tremolda
F
F
Instituto di Oncologia sperimentale e clinica, Università di Reggio Calabria, Sede di Catanzaro.
Benevegnù
L
L
Drago
C
C
Casarin
C
C
Cechetto
A
A
Realdi
G
G
Ruol
A
A
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000032:analysis*
D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins