Imaging techniques for the diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma

Chou R, Cuevas C, Fu R, Devine B, Wasson N, Ginsburg A, Zakher B, Pappas M, Graham E, Sullivan S
Record ID 32014001407
English
Authors' objectives: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant neoplasm of the liver, and accurate diagnosis and staging of HCC are important for guiding treatment and other clinical decisions. A number of imaging modalities are available for detection of HCC in surveillance and nonsurveillance settings, evaluation of focal liver lesions to identify HCC, and staging of HCC. The purpose of this review is to compare the effectiveness of imaging techniques for HCC on test performance, clinical decisionmaking, clinical outcomes, and harms.
Authors' recommendations: Several imaging modalities have relatively high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis or staging of HCC, although test performance is suboptimal for small or welldifferentiated HCC. Although there are some potential differences in test performance between different imaging modalities and techniques, more research is needed to understand the effects of such differences on clinical decisionmaking and clinical outcomes.
Details
Project Status: Completed
Year Published: 2014
URL for published report: http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/ehc/products/479/1990/liver-cancer-final-141022.pdf
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: United States
MeSH Terms
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Diagnosis
Contact
Organisation Name: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Contact Address: Center for Outcomes and Evidence Technology Assessment Program, 540 Gaither Road, Rockville, MD 20850, USA. Tel: +1 301 427 1610; Fax: +1 301 427 1639;
Contact Name: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov
Contact Email: martin.erlichman@ahrq.hhs.gov
Copyright: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
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