AI-Driven Blood Test Could Improve Detection Of Liver Cancer, Research Indicates

HealthDay (6/19, Thompson) reports that research indicates “a new AI-driven blood test could improve detection of liver cancer.” This “test looks for ‘fusion genes’ – two different genes that have become bound together, producing proteins that can lead to cancer.” Investigators found that “a test for four specific fusion-gene combinations was 83% to 91% accurate in predicting the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most common form of liver cancer.” The “accuracy increased to 95% when researchers combined a two fusion-gene search with an existing liver cancer screen that assesses the presence of alpha-fetal protein in the blood.” The findings were published in the American Journal of Pathology.