title: Prospective Risk Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C by Ultrasound Strain Elastography.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have reported about real-time tissue elastography (RTE), which displays relative strain by measuring the relative distortion of the tissue, and found this information to be useful for diagnosing liver fibrosis. However, its use in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma has not been reported as yet. Here, we investigated RTE to predict liver carcinogenesis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 160 patients with chronic HCV, who were followed up for 39.9 ± 22.9 weeks (median). They underwent RTE and then ultrasounds every 3-6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respective cumulative liver cancer incidences for years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were, for the entire cohort: 2.0, 5.6, 8.8, 13.1, and 23.9%; for those whose liver fibrosis index (LFI) was ≤2.0: 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, and 0.0%; for those whose LFI was 2-2.8: 0.0, 7.4, 7.4, 13.2 and 19.9%; and for those whose LFI was >2.8: 12.9, 12.9, 21.7, 31.4, and 31.4% (p = 0.011; log-rank test).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurements of LFI by strain imaging can effectively predict liver cancer risk in patients with chronic HCV infection.
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arizumi
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ida
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueshima
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010976:Platelet Count; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin