CHICAGO – Several medical societies recommend that patients with cirrhosis undergo ultrasound surveillance for hepatocellular carcinoma every 6 months, but studies suggest less than 20% receive surveillance. The most common reason for failure to get the screening is lack of provider recommendation.
In a video interview with us at the annual Digestive Disease Week, Dr. Eimile Dalton-Fitzgerald of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas delves into primary care provider (PCP) practice patterns, knowledge, and attitudes regarding hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance gleaned from a survey of 77 PCPs in a large safety-net hospital in Dallas County, Texas.
Though most PCPs surveyed believe HCC surveillance is their responsibility (90%) and is effective for early tumor detection in cirrhosis (85%), many had misconceptions about the appropriate surveillance test choice.
PCPs also report several barriers to HCC surveillance, including not being up to date with surveillance guidelines (68%), difficulty with patient communication (56%), and having more important issues to manage in the clinic (52%).
A full 87% also said they’re influenced by a lack of recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which has yet to weigh in on the issue.
Dr. Dalton-Fitzgerald reported no conflicting interests.