Screening patients with cirrhosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by abdominal ultrasonography (UCC), measurement of serum alpha fetoprotein (AFP), either test, or both was not associated with decreased HCC-related mortality, a recent study showed. The matched case-control study within the US Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system identified 238 cases as patients with cirrhosis who died of HCC from January 1, 2013 through August 31, 2015 and had been in VA care with a diagnosis of cirrhosis for ≥4years prior to the diagnosis of HCC. Researchers matched each case to 1 control, defined as a patient with cirrhosis who did not die of HCC and had been in VA care for ≥4 prior to the date of his matched case’s HCC diagnosis. They found:

• There were no significant differences between cases and controls in the proportions of patients who underwent screening USS, screening measurement of serum AFP, either a screening USS or measurement of serum AFP, or both within 4 years before the index date.
• There was no difference in receipt of these screening tests within 1, 2, or 3 years prior to the index date.