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Early Detection of Liver Cancer by QUS

NCT06345508 · Status: RECRUITING · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 328

Last updated 2026-03-20

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Worldwide, liver cancers are the third most common cause of cancer mortality. Even when liver cancer is suspected by blood tests, imaging is required to determine the location, size, and extent of disease. Medical societies therefore recommend surveillance with ultrasound every 6 months in at-risk patients. However, a key challenge to improving the survival is that ultrasound may miss half of early-stage liver cancers, thus diagnosis must rely on additional tests such as computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or biopsy. Hence, there is a clear need to improve the ability to detect liver cancers, especially with ultrasound. The investigator's team proposes novel ultrasound approaches to detect cancer nodules invisible on conventional ultrasound based on differences in mechanical and structural properties between liver and tumor. Improving detection is critical because liver cancer can be cured only if detected at an early stage, as shown by improvements in survival rates in patients enrolled in surveillance programs. The investigator's multi-disciplinary, national, and international team includes experts in clinical fields (hepatology, oncology, radiology, pathology), basic sciences (engineering, medical physics, machine learning, biostatistics), and patient partnership. The investirgator will apply the methodology of patient partner recruitment and collaborate with the Centre of Excellence on Partnership with Patients and the Public to select potential new collaborators. This will permit this project to be informed at every stage by patient and family perspectives, ensuring that the results of this project will be more robust, impactful, and aligned with the priorities, needs and experiences of those who live with liver cancer. The investigator submits a research proposal focused on advanced imaging techniques because imaging constitutes a foundation for surveillance, diagnosis, staging, treatment selection and assessment of treatment response in patients with liver cancer.

Conditions

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Quantitative Ultrasound

Research quantitative ultrasound

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

B-mode Ultrasound

B-mode US performed according to the clinical standard of care.

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

The composite reference standard includes MRI performed according to the clinical standard of care or histopathology when available.

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Liver Biopsy

The composite reference standard includes MRI performed according to the clinical standard of care or histopathology when available.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal

    collaborator OTHER

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

    collaborator OTHER_GOV

  • Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM)

    lead OTHER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2024-08-20
Primary Completion
2029-06-30
Completion
2029-12-31

Countries

  • Canada

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT06345508 on ClinicalTrials.gov