Summary of Evidence

Benefits
Harms

Note: Separate PDQ summaries on Adult Primary Liver Cancer Treatment and Childhood Liver Cancer Treatment are also available.

Based on fair evidence, screening would not result in a decrease in mortality from hepatocellular cancer.

Magnitude of Effect: No reduction in mortality.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trials.

Internal Validity: Fair.

Consistency: Multiple studies, large number of participants.

External Validity: Fair.

Based on fair evidence, screening would result in rare but serious side effects associated with needle aspiration cytology such as needle-track seeding, particularly of lesions more than 2 cm in diameter, and hemorrhage, bile peritonitis, and pneumothorax. Transjugular liver biopsy is rarely associated with major complications such as perforation of the hepatic capsule or cholangitis.

Magnitude of Effect: Good evidence for uncommon but serious harms.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trials and observational studies.

Internal Validity: Fair.

Consistency: Multiple studies, large number of participants.

External Validity: Good.