Algorithm detects liver cancer faster

by time news

Patients with liver cirrhosis have an increased risk of liver cancer. This disease can be caused by diseases such as chronic viral hepatitis, an autoimmune disease of the liver or fatty liver – whether caused by alcohol abuse or not. Gastroenterology physician Prof. Rob de Man and clinical chemist Dr. Christian Ramakers have hundreds of such patients. Until now, they were monitored every six months with ultrasounds and blood tests.

Early detection of liver cancer

The advantage of the new early detection of an incipient tumor is that it can then be treated even better. Rob De Man: ‘Cancer in a liver that is already diseased is difficult to treat. But if a tumor is still very small, you can often burn it away or embolize its vessels. This is less invasive than surgery to remove part of the diseased liver. The patient recovers faster. Early detection gives you, as it were, more scope for your treatment.’

CT- of MRI-scan

Thanks to the new diagnostic method with the algorithm for the GAAD score, liver cancer can be recognized at an earlier stage. As soon as the GAAD score is above 2.57, a CT or MRI scan is quickly made, because that is an indication that something is going on in the cells of the diseased liver. Such scans can make it easier to see whether there is liver cancer. However, CT and MRI scans are costly and stressful for patients. The new GAAD score is then a good tool to assess whether there is a clear indication for this. Faster diagnoses are also increasingly possible for other forms of cancer, such as breast cancer, thanks to the use of AI and MRI, for example.

Liver cancer & tumor markers

The special thing about the new GAAD score is that the blood test works differently. Previously, the blood was monitored with a single blood value: AFP. Now two blood values ​​are measured: AFP and DCP. Ramakers explains on the Erasmus MC website: ‘Both AFP and DCP are tumor markers that are often only produced by cells of a tumor in the liver. A score is calculated based on the values ​​of these two tumor markers, plus the age and gender of the patient.’

The new GAAD score is used at Erasmus MC for patients who come to the outpatient clinic for Liver Diseases. MDL doctors in other hospitals can also request this score for their patients to detect liver cancer more quickly.

ICT&health congres 2023

On January 30, 2023, ICT&health kicks off the new healthcare year with the annual major and influential healthcare conference on healthcare transformation.
Also be present? Book your entrance ticket quickly

You may also like

Leave a Comment