About this trial
The National Liver Cancer Screening Trial is an adaptive randomized phase IV Trial comparing ultrasound-based versus biomarker-based screening in 5500 patients with cirrhosis from any etiology or patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. Eligible patients will be randomized in a 1:1 fashion to Arm A using semi-annual ultrasound and AFP-based screening or Arm B using semi-annual screening using GALAD alone. Randomization will be stratified by sex, enrolling site, Child Pugh class (A vs. B), and HCC etiology (viral vs. non-viral). Patients will be recruited from 15 sites (mix of tertiary care and large community health systems) over a 3-year period, and the primary endpoint of the phase IV trial, reduction in late-stage HCC, will be assessed after 5.5 years.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Adult patients ages 18-85 with cirrhosis from any etiology or with chronic hepatitis B with a PAGE-B score greater than 9 within 12 months of enrollment
Patient is eligible for HCC surveillance according to treating physician or by the site investigator
Able to provide informed consent
Life expectancy >6 months (after consent) as determined by the treating provider or site investigator
Disqualifiers
Child Pugh C cirrhosis
History or clinical symptoms of hepatocellular carcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma
History of solid nodule on baseline ultrasound (i.e., lesion 1cm or greater) within 9 months prior to consent without subsequent diagnostic CT/MRI demonstrating benign nature)
AFP >20 ng/mL within 6 months prior to consent, in the absence of a contrast-enhanced CT or MRI within 6 months of AFP (before or after) level demonstrating lack of suspicious liver lesions
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- GALAD
- Liver Ultrasound with or without AFP
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Lead sponsor
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Collaborator
University of Pennsylvania
Collaborator
University of Michigan
Collaborator
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Collaborator
Baylor College of Medicine
Collaborator
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center
Collaborator