VA Launches Largest Ever Liver Cancer Screening Study

PHOENIX (January 3, 2023) – In 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is embarking on its largest ever liver cancer screening study to determine the most effective screening technique for liver cancer, a deadly form of cancer that can be cured if caught early.

According to VA, the study will seek to determine whether detecting liver cancer earlier with abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can reduce patients’ risk of death. VA’s Veterans Health Administration is the largest health care provider in the U.S. for patients with cirrhosis, a leading risk factor for liver cancer, according to VA.

The study will compare whether screening with abbreviated MRI is better than ultrasound, the current standard of care in reducing liver cancer deaths in Veterans, according to VA.

Enrollment launched Jan. 1, with VA studying participant results over an 8-year period to measure the two screening methods for effect on patient survival.

For more background and information, read the full VA announcement on its launch of the new liver cancer screening study.