SELiNa (The detection of Small Early Liver cancer with Natural history follow up) Study
The SELiNa Study aims to identify novel blood biomarkers and to use new imaging techniques to detect HCC at the earliest possible time points so that treatments that may cure HCC can be given. The study will recruit 200 HCC patients with and 50 without cirrhosis from 8 NHS sites in England. Blood, urine and liver tissue samples will be collected for analysis at the 1st visit. In a subgroup of patients, Magnetic Resonance liver Imaging will be performed at a second visit 4-8 weeks later. Thereafter, participants will be follow-up via clinical records for up to 4 years. During this active follow-up period participants are further asked to answer a set of questions regarding their HCC, treatment and well-being either by online questionnaire, in person at a study visit coinciding with their clinical follow up appointment or over the phone at the anniversary of their enrolment. A passive follow-up phase of 10 years will be conducted by the research teams by obtaining relevant medical information about participants from NHS digital. The findings of the SELiNa study will identify biomarkers that can be used to detect liver cancer at the earliest possible time, and so increase the survival rate of HCC.