Improving early detection of liver cancer in patients with cirrhosis
Official title: Precision Screening for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Cirrhosis
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-10543119 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on finding better ways to catch liver cancer early in people with cirrhosis by creating personalized screening plans that take into account each person's unique risk factors, which could help doctors diagnose the cancer sooner and improve treatment outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2018 |
| Project end | December 31, 2025 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $249,951 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA222900-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-10543119 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals diagnosed with cirrhosis who are at risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cirrhosis or those who do not have risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research focuses on enhancing the early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis by developing a precision screening strategy. It aims to create personalized screening approaches that consider individual risk factors and the performance of various screening tests. By analyzing data from 2000 patients, the study will evaluate new biomarkers and risk stratification models to improve the accuracy of early HCC detection. This could lead to more timely diagnoses and better outcomes for patients at risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve early detection rates of liver cancer, leading to better survival outcomes for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using personalized approaches for cancer detection, indicating potential success for this novel strategy.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singal, Amit — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Singal, Amit
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Why some patients with cirrhosis miss recommended liver cancer screening
This project looks at why African American, Hispanic, and non-English-speaking patients with cirrhosis are less likely to get recommended liver cancer screening and how the COVID-19 pandemic changed that.
-
Investigating the link between gut bacteria and liver cancer risk in people with cirrhosis.
This study is looking at how the bacteria in your gut might affect the risk of liver cancer in people with liver cirrhosis, especially in the Latinx community, and it hopes to find helpful markers that could lead to better ways to screen and prevent cancer for those at risk.
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Understanding why some patients with cirrhosis receive less screening for liver cancer than others
This study looks at why some people with liver cirrhosis, especially from minority and underserved groups, aren't getting screened for liver cancer as often as they should, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and aims to find ways to make it easier for everyone to get the care they need.
-
Glutamine and macrophage behavior in liver cancer
A funded project at a medical university aims to understand how the liver’s immune cells interact with a specific type of liver cancer by looking at metabolism, especially glutamine and ammonia.
-
Adding PSMA PET/CT imaging to liver cancer care for veterans
This project tests a new PET imaging approach to help diagnose and guide treatment for liver cancer in veterans.
-
Blood markers to catch early liver cancer in Hispanic people with hepatitis B
This project will see if a blood test can find liver cancer earlier in Hispanic people who have chronic hepatitis B.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.