Evidence mapPaperPMID 41173809Full record

ArticleAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2026

Very Early-Stage Detection Is Associated With Improved Survival in Patients With Unifocal Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Thomas Hunold, Karim Seif El Dahan, Suraj Pai, Amit G Singal, Neehar D Parikh

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Thomas HunoldDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Karim Seif El DahanDivision of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4268-4079
Suraj PaiDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Amit G SingalDivision of Digestive and Liver Diseases, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1172-3971
Neehar D ParikhDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5874-9933

Funding

Clinical Validation Center for Hepatocellular CarcinomaU01CA271887 · UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER · 2025 to 2025
$894k
NCI NIH HHS U01CA271887NIDDK NIH HHS DK062708
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsThe goal of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance is to improve early HCC detection; however, the incremental benefits of detection of T1a tumours compared to T1b tumours are unclear. We aimed to evaluate the survival of patients with HCC detected at a T1a stage compared to T1b stage.

methodsWe conducted a multicentre retrospective study of adult patients from three sites in the United States who were newly diagnosed with unifocal HCC (based on LIRADS v2018), measuring between 1.0 and 3.0 cm at diagnosis between July 2013 and November 2022. All patients were required to have Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CP) class A or B cirrhosis and undergo timely treatment within 90 days of diagnosis. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate associations between tumour size (T1a vs. T1b) and overall survival and transplant-free survival.

resultsOf 140 eligible patients (median age 67 years, 72% male), 88 had T1a and 52 had T1b HCC. Median overall survival was 5.5 (95% CI: 3.79-NE (Not Evaluable)) years for patients with T1a HCC versus 3.1 (95% CI: 2.52-4.63) years for those with T1b HCC (p = 0.019). In multivariable analysis, mortality was significantly associated with Child Pugh B (vs. Child Pugh A; HR: 2.362; 95% CI: 1.39-4.93), higher logarithm transformed AFP (HR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.20-1.69) and lesion size in cm (HR: 2.95; 95% CI: 1.69-5.16).

conclusionsDetection of HCC at a T1a stage conveys a survival advantage compared to T1b stage, underscoring a continued need for improvements in HCC surveillance efficacy.

Indexed as

Carcinoma, HepatocellularEarly Detection of CancerLiver NeoplasmsAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingProportional Hazards ModelsRetrospective StudiesUnited Stateshepatocellular carcinomasurvivalT1a stageT1b stage

Identifiers

PMID41173809
PMCPMC12934548

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.