Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of illness and death in Saudi Arabia, particularly among men. Diagnosis of HCC at an early stage can lead to more effective and less expensive treatment options compared to later stages, thereby improving patient survival and quality of life. The STOP HCC is a phase 4 biomarker validation study to prospectively monitor a group of 1,600 individuals at risk for primary HCC, with 800 participants from Vietnam and 800 from Saudi Arabia. The study focuses on patients with advanced fibrosis or compensated cirrhosis, regardless of the cause, and follows them semi-annual abdominal ultrasound scans and the GALAD Score, a blood-based tool that helps estimate HCC risk, over a period of 5 years. The main goal is to assess the effectiveness of the GALAD Score as a tool for clinical surveillance and early HCC detection in both settings.

The National Guard Health Affairs, Johns Hopkins University, KFSHRC-Jeddah, King Fahad Specialist Hospital-Dammam.