NIH scientists develop blood test to help improve liver cancer screening

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Scientists have developed a new test that can help identify people who are likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer. The approach uses a simple blood test to check for the patient’s previous exposure to certain viruses.

A study of the new approach was led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study also involved researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and several academic centers. The findings were published June 10 in Cell.