Liu ZH, Wang WJ, Dang SS. Early screening for liver cancer must be performed. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(11): 112675 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i11.112675]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Shuang-Suo Dang, PhD, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 157 Xiwu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China. dang212@126.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Hepatol. Nov 27, 2025; 17(11): 112675 Published online Nov 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i11.112675
Early screening for liver cancer must be performed
Zi-Han Liu, Wen-Jun Wang, Shuang-Suo Dang
Zi-Han Liu, Wen-Jun Wang, Shuang-Suo Dang, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Liu ZH, Wang WJ, and Dang SS collaboratively contributed to the completion of this manuscript; Dang SS was responsible for the conceptual design of the article.
Supported by China Hepatitis Prevention and Control Foundation, No. GRG202501.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Shuang-Suo Dang, PhD, Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 157 Xiwu Road, Xi’an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China. dang212@126.com
Received: August 4, 2025 Revised: September 7, 2025 Accepted: October 27, 2025 Published online: November 27, 2025 Processing time: 117 Days and 3.4 Hours
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is imposing a growing global health burden, with China accounting for nearly half of incident cases and mortality worldwide. Early screening is critical to improving survival in high-burden regions. However, the global standardized screening rate for high-risk populations is less than 24%, and HCC screening currently faces severe challenges. We synthesize recent advances in HCC screening, including optimized serum biomarkers, evolving imaging techniques, and validated models. Emerging liquid biopsy technologies and artificial intelligence further demonstrate considerable promise for enhancing noninvasive detection efficacy. Multifaceted collaboration among policymakers, healthcare systems, and communities is essential to implement effective screening programs and ultimately improve survival outcomes.
Core Tip: Hepatocellular carcinoma imposes a significant disease burden globally, particularly in China, where early screening faces challenges of low screening rates and insufficient sensitivity of traditional methods. This review focuses on the potential of innovative strategies, including optimized combinations of serum biomarkers, advanced imaging techniques, and liquid biopsy, to enhance early diagnosis rates. We emphasize the need for multidisciplinary collaboration and risk stratification management to improve screening efficacy.
