Social and healthcare factors behind late-stage liver cancer in low-income neighborhoods
Official title: Multilevel Determinants of Socioeconomic Disparities in Geographic Late-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Hotspots
Run by University of Southern California · NCT07312162 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will try to find which social and medical barriers keep adults in low-income areas of Los Angeles from getting early diagnoses of liver cancer.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 730 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University of Southern California Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Los Angeles, California) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | January 1, 2022 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | January 30, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07312162 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults (18+) with a new diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma who live in a designated late-stage hotspot within Los Angeles County and who are uninsured or on Medicaid (English, Spanish, or Chinese speakers) are ideal participants.
✕Probably not a fit
People who live outside Los Angeles County, have non-HCC liver tumors, are incarcerated, or are pregnant would not be eligible and are unlikely to benefit from the study's findings.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational project enrolls adults newly diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma who live in designated late-stage hotspots in Los Angeles County. Participants complete a prospective survey, allow review of their medical records, and some take part in in-depth interviews to explore multilevel barriers to completing the early detection pathway. The focus is on people with Medicaid or no insurance and includes English, Spanish, and Chinese speakers to capture diverse experiences. Researchers will link individual social and clinical data with neighborhood measures to characterize socioeconomic disparities in late-stage HCC burden.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could guide targeted outreach and screening programs so liver cancers are caught earlier in low-income communities.
How similar studies have gone: Prior observational and qualitative work has documented socioeconomic and access barriers to late HCC detection, but this prospective, hotspot-focused combination of surveys and interviews in Los Angeles is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * \* Adults (18+) * New diagnosis of HCC * Able to provide informed consent Additional criteria: * Must complete survey * Residential address in a late stage hotspot * Medicaid insurance or uninsured * English, Spanish and Chinese speakers Exclusion Criteria: * \* Residence outside of Los Angeles County * Non-HCC liver tumors * Incarcerated patients * Pregnant women
Where it's running
-
USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Los Angeles, California, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Kali Zhou — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Kali Zhou
- Email: kalizhou@usc.edu
- Phone: 323-865-0451
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
InstaSure Non-Invasive Finger-Press Test for HCC
This study tests a non-invasive finger-skin test to help identify hepatocellular carcinoma in adults.
-
BGB-B2033 vs Sorafenib or Lenvatinib for advanced liver cancer
This study tests whether the investigational drug BGB-B2033 can help people with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma when given after prior PD-1/PD-L1 therapy, compared with the standard medicines sorafenib or lenvatinib.
-
Zinc add-on with targeted therapy plus immunotherapy for advanced liver cancer
This study tests whether adding daily zinc to standard targeted therapy and immunotherapy helps people with unresectable or advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
-
68Ga-SorB PET/CT imaging for solid tumors
This study tests a new PET tracer called 68Ga-SorB to see if it can safely and accurately detect tumors in adults with melanoma, liver, lung, breast, pancreatic, ovarian cancer, or cholangiocarcinoma.
-
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Patient Registry (CHARM Hepatocellular Carcinoma MEA)
This observational study collects medical records of adults with hepatocellular carcinoma to understand how the disease presents and progresses across regions in the Middle East and North Africa.
-
GLP-1 RA plus standard treatment in first-line metastatic GI cancers
This early-phase trial tests whether adding a GLP-1 receptor agonist to standard first-line chemotherapy is safe and feasible for people with metastatic pancreatic, colorectal, or liver cancer.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.