People with known chronic hepatitis and/or cirrhosis of the liver may benefit from the use of screening tests to try to find the cancer before it has spread beyond the liver. Thorough screening includes frequent monitoring of serum alpha-fetoprotein ( a product found in the blood of 50 to 70 percent of all hepatocellular carcinoma patients in the U.S. and more commonly worldwide) and ultrasound of the liver. These tests are not useful for identifying primary liver tumors other than hepatocellular carcinoma.
Although these screening methods may be useful in Asia and Africa, where liver cancer is very common, they are not routinely used in North America because of this cancer's rarity. Screening of hepatitis B virus-infected Asian and African immigrants to the U.S. may be beneficial.
