ArticleHepatology communications2024
National Liver Cancer Screening Trial (TRACER) study protocol.
Article in Hepatology communications, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06084234 (National Liver Cancer Screening Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
National Liver Cancer Screening Trial
Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Heuriskance: a novel paradigm for systematic earlier detection of sporadic pancreatic cancer.Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2026Article
- The role of circulating tumor DNA in ovarian cancer.Discover oncology · 2026Review
- Risk-stratified surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma.Hepatology communications · 2026Review
- Validation of longitudinal biomarker screening algorithms for HCC detection in patients with cirrhosis.Hepatology communications · 2026Article
- Refining surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis B through biomarker-based risk stratification.Hepatology communications · 2026Review
- HES V2.0 validation and performance compared to GALAD and ASAP in the HEDS cohort.Journal of hepatology · 2026Article
- Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Cirrhosis and Cirrhosis-Related Complications.Gastroenterology clinics of North America · 2026Review
- Very Early-Stage Detection Is Associated With Improved Survival in Patients With Unifocal Hepatocellular Carcinoma.Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics · 2026Article
- Practice changing RCT design and rationale: Abbreviated MRI plus AFPJHEP reports : innovation in hepatology · 2026Review
- Utility of Biomarker Panels in the Surveillance and Monitoring of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Consensus Statements from an International Delphi Panel.Liver cancer · 2025Article
- Performance of GAAD and GALAD Biomarker Panels for HCC Detection in Patients with MASLD or ALD Cirrhosis.Cancers · 2025Article
- Performance of the multi-target hepatocellular carcinoma blood test: Design and rationale of the ALTUS study.Hepatology communications · 2025Article
- Persisting challenges in the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.Expert review of anticancer therapy · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundProfessional guidelines recommend HCC screening in at-risk patients using semi-annual ultrasound with or without alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); however, this strategy has limited effectiveness due to low adherence and sensitivity. Increasing data support the potential role of blood-based biomarker panels, which could improve both aspects. The biomarker panel GALAD, comprised of sex, age, and 3 blood biomarkers (AFP, AFP-L3, and des-carboxy prothrombin des-carboxy prothrombin), has shown high sensitivity and specificity in biomarker phase II (case-control) and phase III (retrospective cohort) validation studies. However, prospective validation in a large phase IV biomarker clinical utility trial is necessary before its adoption in practice.
methodsThe National Liver Cancer Screening Trial is an adaptive pragmatic randomized phase IV trial, which began enrollment in January 2024, comparing ultrasound-based versus biomarker-based screening in 5500 patients with chronic hepatitis B infection or cirrhosis from any etiology. Eligible patients are randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to semi-annual screening with ultrasound ± alpha-fetoprotein (arm A) or semi-annual screening with GALAD (arm B). Randomization is stratified by enrollment site, liver disease severity (per Child-Pugh class), liver disease etiology (viral, nonviral, and noncirrhotic HBV), and sex. Patients are being recruited from 15 sites (a mix of tertiary care academic referral centers, safety-net health systems, and large community health systems) over a 3-year period, and the primary endpoint, reduction in late-stage HCC, will be assessed at the end of year 5.5. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will inform the best strategy for HCC screening and early-stage detection in patients with chronic liver diseases. If GALAD shows superiority, HCC screening would primarily shift from an ultrasound-based strategy to the adoption of the biomarker panel.
trial registrationNCT06084234. TRIAL STATUS: The TRACER Study is actively enrolling.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.