# Abbreviated MRI for HCC screening in cirrhotic patients

> **NIH NIH R01** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2022 · $894,475

## Abstract

Project Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest growing cause of cancer death in the United States. Recent
North American practice guidelines recommend semi-annual HCC surveillance using ultrasound (US) with or
without serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) for cirrhotic and other high-risk patients to permit detection of HCC at an
early stage, enabling effective treatment, and potentially improving survival. However, US suffers from limited
performance in patients with cirrhosis and overweight/obesity, causing the sensitivity of US for early-stage
HCC to be as low as 40%.
 We recently conceived and tested a novel abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (AMRI) exam
including T1-weighted imaging (T1-w) at the hepatobiliary phase post gadoxetic acid injection (HBP-AMRI)
designed to detect HCC in cirrhotic patients with improved accuracy, with only 2 sequences (T1-w HBP at 20
min post injection and T2-w). Our preliminary data suggest that HBP-AMRI provides >80% sensitivity for HCC
detection. Here, we propose a prospective multicenter (composed of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount
Sinai, University of California, San Diego, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Duke University) study to
assess the performance of HBP-AMRI as a screening modality for early detection of HCC in 820 Americans
with cirrhosis. A complete MRI (which includes dynamic imaging, HBP imaging, and other sequences) will be
disaggregated to reconstruct an HBP-AMRI exam. Using this reconstructed exam, we will test our central
hypothesis that HBP-AMRI is more sensitive and cost-effective than US for HCC detection. We will also assess
the incremental diagnostic value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and serum AFP.
 Specifically, we aim to determine the: 1) diagnostic performance of HBP-AMRI vs. US for HCC
screening in cirrhotic patients. 2) added value of ctDNA and serum AFP for improving HCC detection by HBP-
AMRI or US in cirrhotic patients, 3) cost-effectiveness of HBP-AMRI versus US for HCC screening in cirrhotic
patients. Finally, we will reconstruct a gadoxetic acid-enhanced (Dyn-AMRI) exam from the complete exam for
exploratory analyses of the diagnostic performance of Dyn-AMRI vs HBP-AMRI and US for HCC screening.
Our long-term objective is to validate an accurate and precise method for improving the screening and
surveillance for HCC in patients with cirrhosis, with potential mortality reduction from HCC. The successful
completion of this proposal will help validate a novel screening method comprising HBP-AMRI, possibly
combined with ctDNA.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10415944
- **Project number:** 5R01CA249765-03
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Mustafa R. Bashir
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $894,475
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-19 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10415944

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10415944, Abbreviated MRI for HCC screening in cirrhotic patients (5R01CA249765-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10415944. Licensed CC0.

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