Liver Cancer Screening in Patients with HCV Infection

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is on the rise in the U.S., mostly attributed to an increase in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis. Current guidelines recommend surveillance for HCC using abdominal ultrasound with or without measurement of serum α-fetoprotein every 6 months in HCV-infected patients with cirrhosis. But, how well these recommendations are followed in clinical practice is unclear.

To estimate current HCC screening practices, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients who received diagnoses of HCV infection (with or without cirrhosis) between 1998 and 2005 at 128 U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare facilities. Researchers categorized patients' surveillance status during the 4-year period after diagnos…