Blood test could outshine ultrasound in liver cancer screening

NCT ID NCT06084234

Recruiting now Diagnosis Sponsor: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This phase IV trial will enroll 5,500 people with liver cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B—conditions that raise liver cancer risk. Participants are randomly assigned to either standard ultrasound screening or a new blood test called GALAD, which measures three proteins. The goal is to see which method catches more liver cancers at an early, treatable stage. Results are expected after about 5.5 years.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: GALAD biomarker panel (blood test) and liver ultrasound with or without AFP blood test
What this could lead to: If successful, this could show that a simple blood test (GALAD) is better than ultrasound at catching liver cancer early, potentially saving lives through earlier treatment.
What could go wrong: This is a large, long-term trial, so results won't be available for years. The blood test might not outperform ultrasound, or it could lead to more false alarms and unnecessary procedures.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

cirrhosis of liver hepatitis B virus infection liver cancer Liver Neoplasms hepatocellular carcinoma prevention target

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

CARCINOMA, HEPATOCELLULAR HEPATITIS B LIVER CANCER LIVER CIRRHOSIS

Contacts and locations

Locations

Baylor College of Medicine
RECRUITING

Houston, Texas, 77021, United States
Case Western Reserve University
RECRUITING

Cleveland, Ohio, 44106, United States
Hennepin Healthcare
RECRUITING

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55415, United States
Henry Ford Health System
RECRUITING

Detroit, Michigan, 48202, United States
Indiana University
RECRUITING

Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202, United States
Kaiser Permanente
RECRUITING

Roseville, California, 95661, United States
Massachusetts General Hospital
RECRUITING

Boston, Massachusetts, 02114, United States
Northwestern University
RECRUITING

Chicago, Illinois, 60611, United States
Stanford University
RECRUITING

Redwood City, California, 94063, United States
The Cleveland Clinic
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States
The Feinstein Institutes, Northwell Health, Inc.
RECRUITING

Manhasset, New York, 11030, United States
UT Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital
RECRUITING

Dallas, Texas, 75390, United States
University of California, San Francisco
RECRUITING

San Francisco, California, 94117, United States
University of Michigan
RECRUITING

Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, United States
University of Minnesota
RECRUITING

Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455, United States
University of North Carolina
RECRUITING

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599, United States
University of Pennsylvania
RECRUITING

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
University of Southern California
RECRUITING

Los Angeles, California, 90089, United States
Virginia Commonwealth University
NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Richmond, Virginia, 23219, United States

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