Medical Design and Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Ultrasound imaging and blood tests could catch liver cancer in early stages

February 12, 2018 By Danielle Kirsh

liver cancer

CT scan of a liver with cholangiocarcinoma [Image from Wikipedia]

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern have recently discovered that combining ultrasound images with blood tests that test for high alpha fetoprotein (AFP) levels can improve detection of early-stage liver cancer by 40%.

There are about 42,220 new liver cancer diagnoses and about 30,200 will die from it per year. It affects more men than women and its prevalence has more than tripled since 1980. The American Cancer Society reports that it is harder to detect liver cancer in its early stages because the liver is surrounded by the rib cage. By the time the tumor is able to be felt, it might be too big.

“If the cancer is found early, then we can perform curative therapies, allowing patients to live many years,” hepatologist Dr. G. Amit Singal, associate professor of internal medicine and clinical science at UT Southwestern Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a press release. “Unfortunately, most liver cancer in the United States is discovered at later stages, when curative treatment is not possible and survival is much worse.”

Risk factors for liver cancer include hepatitis C, chronic heavy alcohol consumption and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease caused by diabetes and obesity. Patients who have cirrhosis undergo liver cancer screenings with varying guidelines that recommend both imaging and AFP measurements.

The study is a meta-analysis of 32 previous studies and focuses on using normal ultrasound imaging that is used to check the liver for cancer in addition to using blood tests that scan for AFP to detect liver cancer in its early stages.

“Liver cancer screening in patients with chronic liver disease has traditionally been performed using an abdominal ultrasound. While ultrasound is readily available and noninvasive, it misses many cancers when they are small,” Amit Singal, a professor in clinical cancer research, said. “Our study found that adding the blood biomarker alpha fetoprotein increased detection of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma from 45 percent with ultrasound alone to 63 percent using the two tests in combination.”

AFP is a plasma protein that liver cells abundantly produce in the fetus. However, those levels are typically low in adults, so a rise in AFP levels could indicate liver cancer.

“Our results highlight the important of continued development and validation of blood-based biomarkers for liver cancer early detection. Most importantly, our results support a change in clinical practice and the routine use of ultrasound and biomarkers together for liver cancer screening,” Singal said.

The research is published in the journal Gastroenterology and was supported by the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas.

About The Author

Danielle Kirsh

Danielle Kirsh is an award-winning journalist and senior editor for Medical Design & Outsourcing, MassDevice, and Medical Tubing + Extrusion, and the founder of Women in Medtech and lead editor for Big 100. She received her bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism and mass communication from Norfolk State University and is pursuing her master's in global strategic communications at the University of Florida. You can connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn, or email her at dkirsh@wtwhmedia.com.

Related Articles Read More >

Carnegie Mellon University EEG-based BCI to control robotic hand
Non-invasive BCI enables robotic hand dexterity
Digital twins
How digital twins could advance cancer care
MassGeneralBrigham
Mass General Brigham research finds pulse rate could predict cognitive decline
UC Berkeley MRI
New MRI method maps brain blood flow in reverse
“mdo
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest medical device business news, application and technology trends.

DeviceTalks Weekly

See More >

MDO Digital Edition

Digital Edition

Subscribe to Medical Design & Outsourcing. Bookmark, share and interact with the leading medical design engineering magazine today.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.
DeviceTalks

DeviceTalks is a conversation among medical technology leaders. It's events, podcasts, webinars and one-on-one exchanges of ideas & insights.

DeviceTalks

New MedTech Resource

Medical Tubing

MassDevice

Mass Device

The Medical Device Business Journal. MassDevice is the leading medical device news business journal telling the stories of the devices that save lives.

Visit Website
MDO ad
Medical Design and Outsourcing
  • MassDevice
  • DeviceTalks
  • MedTech100 Index
  • Medical Tubing + Extrusion
  • Medical Design Sourcing
  • Drug Delivery Business News
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing World
  • R&D World
  • About Us/Contact
  • Advertise With Us
  • Subscribe to Print Magazine
  • Subscribe to our E-Newsletter
  • Listen to our Weekly Podcasts
  • Join our DeviceTalks Tuesdays Discussion

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media LLC. Site Map | Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Medical Design & Outsourcing

  • Home
  • Medical Device Business
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Financial
    • Regulatory
  • Applications
    • Cardiovascular
    • Devices
    • Imaging
    • Implantables
    • Medical Equipment
    • Orthopedic
    • Surgical
  • Technologies
    • Supplies and Components Index
    • Contract Manufacturing
    • Components
    • Electronics
    • Extrusions
    • Materials
    • Motion Control
    • Prototyping
    • Pumps
    • Tubing
  • MedTech Resources
    • Medtech Events in 2025
    • The 2024 Medtech Big 100
    • Medical Device Handbook
    • MedTech 100 Index
    • Subscribe to Print Magazine
    • DeviceTalks
    • Digital Editions
    • eBooks
    • Educational Assets
    • Manufacturer Search
    • Podcasts
    • Print Subscription
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
    • Views
    • Video
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
    • 2021 Winners
  • Women in Medtech
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe