The uncontrolled growth of liver cells forms tumors and causes cancer. Liver cancer usually increases the risk of death as it gets diagnosed at a late stage and has limited treatments. But early diagnosis can help healthcare professionals to treat people with this cancer to reduce this risk. According to a recent study conducted by researchers from Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center certain proteins present in the blood can help predict liver cancer before it is typically diagnosed.
This study was published in the Journal of the National Institute and studied the proteins present in the blood. This was done by using the SomaScan Assay Kit as it can detect minute levels of proteins that might be present at an early stage of development of this cancer. Researchers collected blood samples from people 12 years before they were diagnosed with liver cancer. Then they compared the collected samples to those people who did not have cancer.
When they observed this data, they found 56 proteins that were much higher in the blood of people who were later diagnosed with liver cancer. They focused on 4 proteins out of these and made a test. They tried this test on almost 50,000 people to check its effectiveness. When they looked at the results of this test, they noticed that this test accurately predicted who would get liver cancer than traditional methods.
One of the researchers says even though the results are positive and can help reduce the risk of liver cancer, there is a need for more tests. The researchers are trying to find more proteins that can predict the risk of developing liver cancer. They also wanted to check whether this test is effective in predicting other cancers too.
As the number of liver cancer cases is increasing rapidly, this study will help healthcare professionals to predict its risk earlier. The traditional diagnosis methods do not diagnose liver cancer earlier and it increases the risk of death. But this test will help healthcare professionals to start the treatment for those who are at a higher risk of developing liver cancer.
Reference link:
Xinyuan Zhang et al, Pre-diagnostic plasma proteomics profile for hepatocellular carcinoma, JNCI: Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2024). 
