Liver Cancer Screening: What You Need to Know About Early Detection

When it comes to liver cancer screening, a process used to detect liver cancer before symptoms appear, especially in high-risk groups. Also known as hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance, it’s not a one-size-fits-all test—it’s a targeted strategy for people with chronic liver damage. Most cases of liver cancer start in people who already have cirrhosis, hepatitis B or C, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Screening doesn’t prevent cancer, but it finds it early—when surgery, ablation, or transplant still have a real chance to work.

Two tools are used in nearly every guideline: ultrasound of the liver, a safe, non-invasive imaging test that shows tumors or abnormal growths in the liver, and the AFP blood test, a marker that can rise when liver cancer is present, though it’s not perfect. Together, they catch about 60-80% of early-stage tumors. But AFP alone? It misses too many. That’s why doctors don’t rely on it by itself. People with cirrhosis are usually screened every six months—no more, no less. Too frequent and you get false alarms. Too rare and you miss the window.

Not everyone needs screening. If you don’t have liver damage, your risk is low and screening won’t help. But if you’ve had hepatitis B for years, or your liver is scarred from alcohol or obesity, skipping screening is risky. Studies show that people who get screened regularly live longer—not because screening cures cancer, but because it catches it when it’s still small and treatable. The goal isn’t to scare you. It’s to give you a head start.

What you’ll find in the posts below are real, practical guides on how liver cancer screening works, who benefits most, what the tests actually show, and how to talk to your doctor about it. No fluff. Just what matters for your health.