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Multi-Center NIH Research Trial Evaluating GALAD, a Novel Blood-Based Algorithm, in the Early Detection of Liver Cancer

By: via Business Wire

FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation, a leading provider of diagnostic and enterprise imaging solutions, announced today that use of its AFP-L3 and DCP in vitro diagnostic tests is being evaluated in the National Liver Cancer Screening Trial (known as TRACER), a study funded by the National Cancer Institute, part of the National Institute of Health. The multi-center study compares liver cancer screening strategies in patients with cirrhosis or chronic hepatitis B.

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and the most rapidly growing cause of cancer deaths in the U.S.1 HCC mortality continues to escalate due to the increased prevalence of chronic liver diseases, inadequate diagnostic precision in the early stages of disease, and historical lack of effective systemic therapies for late-stage HCC. Surveillance of high-risk patients is typically conducted via liver ultrasound in combination with serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) serum testing. However, ultrasound sensitivity can be compromised by the severity and underlying cause of liver disease, and serum AFP levels can be affected by hepatic inflammation, patient characteristics, and hereditary and other non-hepatic disorders,2 among other factors, compromising early-stage HCC diagnostic accuracy.

The use of serum biomarkers such as AFP-L3 and des-gamma-carboxyprothrombin (DCP) in surveillance can significantly improve early diagnosis capabilities, and the GALAD score3 – derived from Gender, Age, AFP-L3, AFP and DCP – has shown promise as a more accurate model for screening and early detection of HCC in at-risk patients in recent studies, including the HCC Early Detection Strategy (HEDS) Study conducted through the EDRN (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39293548/). FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation In Vitro Diagnostics division offers FDA-cleared AFP-L3 and DCP biomarker tests that are utilized as an aid in HCC risk assessment in conjunction with other laboratory findings, imaging studies, and clinical assessment.

The GALAD model continues to be studied in the TRACER study. The Phase IV prospective validation study, which began enrollment in January 2024 and is being conducted in the U.S., will enroll 5,500 at-risk patients across 15 sites that will be randomly assigned semi-annual screening with ultrasound ± AFP arm (the standard of care) or semi-annual screening via the GALAD model. Patients will be actively recruited over a 3-year period, with assessment of the data at year 5.5; the primary aim is a reduction in the proportion of late-stage HCC diagnosis. The TRACER study will measure secondary outcomes of interest including psychological and financial harms utilizing validated patient surveys.

“We are pleased that the TRACER study is evaluating the use of Fujifilm’s biomarker tests as a potential way to improve effectiveness in HCC screening in at-risk patients,” said Henry (Hidetoshi) Izawa, president and chief executive officer, FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation. “HCC is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, with limited treatment options. Our hope is that this study will further underscore the benefits of HCC-specific blood tests in the detection of early-stage HCC, and patients will benefit from earlier diagnosis and treatment options.”

The use of the Fujifilm’s biomarkers in the GALAD model is a novel concept and for research use only.

TRACER is supported by a grant within the Early Detection Research Network, a program of the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.

About Fujifilm

FUJIFILM Healthcare Americas Corporation is a comprehensive healthcare company that has an extensive range of technology and expertise in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. Fujifilm’s innovative portfolio includes solutions spanning diagnostic imaging, enterprise imaging, endoscopic imaging, surgical imaging, and in-vitro diagnostics. The Non-Destructive Testing group delivers radiography solutions to ensure high accuracy inspection of transportation infrastructure, and assets within aerospace, and oil and gas industries.

The company is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts. For more information on healthcare offerings, please visit healthcaresolutions-us.fujifilm.com, and for NDT portfolio, please visit https://www.fujifilm.com/us/en/business/industrial-materials/non-destructive-testing.

FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, leverages its depth of knowledge and proprietary core technologies to deliver innovative products and services across the globe through the four key business segments of healthcare, electronics, business innovation, and imaging with over 70,000 employees. Guided and united by our Group Purpose of “giving our world more smiles,” we address social challenges and create a positive impact on society through our products, services, and business operations. Under its medium-term management plan, VISION2030, which ends in FY2030, we aspire to continue our evolution into a company that creates value and smiles for various stakeholders as a collection of global leading businesses and achieve a global revenue of 4 trillion yen. For more information, please visit: www.fujifilmholdings.com.

__________________________

1 Ferlay J, Ervik M, Lam F, Laversanne M, Colombet M, et al. 2024. Global Cancer Observatory: Cancer Today. Lyon, France: International Agency for Research on Cancer. Available from: https://gco.iarc.who.int/today, accessed [11 April 2025].

 

2 Hanif H, Ali MJ, Susheela AT, Khan IW, Luna-Cuadros MA, et al. 2022. Update on the applications and limitations of alpha-fetoprotein for hepatocellular carcinoma. World J Gastroenterol 28(2):216-229,PMID: 35110946.

 

3 Yang JD, Addissie BD, Mara KC, Harmsen WS, Dai J, et al. 2018. GALAD score for hepatocellular carcinoma detection in comparison with liver ultrasound and proposal of GALADUS score. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 28(3):531-538, PMID: 30464023.

 

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