Clinical trial · Interventional
Comparison of ultraSound, Abbreviated MRI witH and Without HBP aS mOdalities for HCC suRveillance in patienTs With High Risk
Comparison of ultraSound, Abbreviated MRI witH and Without HBP aS mOdalities for HCC suRveillance in patienTs With High Risk: a Multi-centers, Randomized Controlled Open-label Trial
NCT07010588CI-TRIAL-00090743SHORTnot yet recruitingN/AClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Active surveillance in high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) populations enables early detection of tumors. The currently recommended monitoring protocol involves biannual serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) testing combined with liver ultrasound (US) examinations. However, conventional US demonstrates limited sensitivity in detecting early-stage HCC lesions. MRI demonstrates high sensitivity in monitoring cirrhotic patients, but prolonged scanning time limits its routine clinical application. Several abbreviated MRI protocols have been developed for HCC detection, aiming to reduce acquisition time while improving early-stage HCC diagnostic accuracy. The main question this clinical trial aims to answer is: Can non-contrast abbreviated MRI (NC-AMRI) and enhanced abbreviated MRI (E-AMRI) detect more early-stage HCC lesions compared to US-based screening? Researchers will randomly divide the participants into three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio, with different surveillance strategies, focused on early HCC detection rates.
Conditions
Conditions (3)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) | Hepatocellular Carcinoma | ONTOLOGY_EXACT | 0.85 |
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
| Randomized Controlled Trial | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| enhanced abbreviated MRI (E-AMRI) | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
| non-contrast abbreviated MRI (NC-AMRI) | Device | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (3)
- type
- NO_INTERVENTION
- label
- Control group
- description
- After being enrolled, the participants will undergo a liver US examination and a serum AFP test every six months. For those participants who are suspected HCC, an enhanced abdominal CT or enhanced MRI will be performed for confirmation. If the imaging suggests HCC, the research subject will be removed from the group and enter the clinical routine diagnosis and treatment process. If there is no evidence of HCC, the subject will continue to be followed up as planned. Finally, at the end of the 18-month follow-up period, a routine enhanced abdominal CT/MRI will be carried out to confirm the presence of HCC. After the completion of 18 months surveillance, researchers will continue long-term follow-up for another 24 months.
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Non-contrast abbreviated MRI group
- description
- After the participants are enrolled, a serum AFP test and a NC-AMRI examination including T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) will be conducted at the 6th month. A liver US examination and a serum AFP test will be carried out at the 12th month. A serum AFP test and a NC-AMRI examination will be performed at the 18th month. For those participants who are suspected HCC, an enhanced abdominal CT or enhanced MRI will be performed for confirmation. If the imaging suggests HCC, the research subject will be removed from the group and enter the clinical routine diagnosis and treatment process. If there is no evidence of HCC, the subject will continue to be followed up as planned. Finally, at the end of the 18-month follow-up period, a routine enhanced abdominal CT/MRI will be carried out to confirm the presence of HCC. After the completion of 18 months surveillance, researchers will continue long-term follow-up for another 24 months.
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 75 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion criteria * According to the Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer (2024 Edition) from department of medical administration, nation health commission of the People's Republic of China, with any one of the following high-risk factors for liver cancer: hepatitis B and/or C virus infection, excessive alcohol consumption, hepatic steatosis or metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1, liver cirrhosis from other causes, or a family history of liver cancer, and an aMAP score (age⁃male⁃albi⁃platelets score) of 60-100 points. * Liver disease patients with no evidence of suspected liver cancer in any imaging examination (liver US, contrast-enhanced CT, or contrast-enhanced MRI) within the past six months. * Signed informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: * History of previous liver cancer diagnosis. * Baseline screening at enrollment diagnosed with liver cancer. * Child-Pugh score ≥ 10 (class C). * History of other malignant tumors. * Pregnant or lactating women. * Clinically diagnosed severe heart/lung disease or uncontrolled comorbidities, with investigator-judged life expectancy \< 2 years. * Glomerular filtration rate \< 50 mL/min. * Inability to undergo (enhanced) MRI due to contraindications or relative contraindications. * Poor compliance or unsuitability for the clinical trial as judged by the investigator.
References
Publications (6)
- BACKGROUNDKim SY, An J, Lim YS, Han S, Lee JY, Byun JH, Won HJ, Lee SJ, Lee HC, Lee YS. MRI With Liver-Specific Contrast for Surveillance of Patients With Cirrhosis at High Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. JAMA Oncol. 2017 Apr 1;3(4):456-463. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2016.3147. PMID 27657493
- BACKGROUNDYu NC, Chaudhari V, Raman SS, Lassman C, Tong MJ, Busuttil RW, Lu DS. CT and MRI improve detection of hepatocellular carcinoma, compared with ultrasound alone, in patients with cirrhosis. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Feb;9(2):161-7. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2010.09.017. Epub 2010 Oct 1. PMID 20920597
- BACKGROUNDTzartzeva K, Obi J, Rich NE, Parikh ND, Marrero JA, Yopp A, Waljee AK, Singal AG. Surveillance Imaging and Alpha Fetoprotein for Early Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients With Cirrhosis: A Meta-analysis. Gastroenterology. 2018 May;154(6):1706-1718.e1. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.01.064. Epub 2018 Feb 6. PMID 29425931
- BACKGROUNDColli A, Fraquelli M, Casazza G, Massironi S, Colucci A, Conte D, Duca P. Accuracy of ultrasonography, spiral CT, magnetic resonance, and alpha-fetoprotein in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review. Am J Gastroenterol. 2006 Mar;101(3):513-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2006.00467.x. PMID 16542288
- BACKGROUNDSimmons O, Fetzer DT, Yokoo T, Marrero JA, Yopp A, Kono Y, Parikh ND, Browning T, Singal AG. Predictors of adequate ultrasound quality for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance in patients with cirrhosis. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2017 Jan;45(1):169-177. doi: 10.1111/apt.13841. Epub 2016 Nov 8. PMID 27862091
- BACKGROUNDWong LL, Reyes RJ, Kwee SA, Hernandez BY, Kalathil SC, Tsai NC. Pitfalls in surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma: How successful is it in the real world? Clin Mol Hepatol. 2017 Sep;23(3):239-248. doi: 10.3350/cmh.2017.0008. Epub 2017 Jul 14. PMID 28706177