Utilization of hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance programs in patients with cirrhosis: A systematic review and meta-analaysis.

Abstract

e16141 Background: Patients with cirrhosis are advised to undergo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance every six months. Routine screening is associated with early tumor detection and improved survival. However, surveillance is underutilized. We aimed to characterize the impact of HCC surveillance interventions on patient uptake and concomitant detection of HCC. Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search of major databases (from inception to October 2020) to identify studies which assess the impact of HCC surveillance programs in patients with cirrhosis. Our primary endpoint was uptake of screening defined as having an abdominal sonogram every at least every 6 months. Secondary endpoint was the detection of HCC following screening. Pooled data was assessed using a random-effects model expressed in terms of odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Nine studies were included for meta-analysis which involved 5,021 patients with cirrhosis. Patients with a history of hepatitis B or C accounted for 40.5% of the study cohort. Comparing both screening and control groups, patients were 5 times more likely to undergo abdominal sonography if they participated in surveillance programs versus usual care (OR 4.69; CI: 2.41 – 9.13, I2: 94%). Overall, the mean difference in patients who did undergo screening versus those who did not participate in surveillance was 30.6% (CI: 19.2% – 41.9%, P < 0.001). Comparing both screening and control groups, patients were 1.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with HCC if they participated in surveillance programs (OR 1.49; CI: 0.57 – 3.89, I2: 65%). On subgroup analysis, comparing type of intervention program, dedicated surveillance programs showed a higher uptake compared to clinical reminders, though not statistically significant (dedicated programs OR 62.6, CI: 1.53 – 2559.5 vs clinical reminders OR 2.63, CI: 1.82 – 3.79). Conclusions: Patient uptake in HCC surveillance remains underutilized. Interventions such as dedicated surveillance programs and clinical reminders systems can significantly increase uptake of abdominal sonography and cancer detection.