Screening for liver cancer: results of a randomised controlled trial in Qidong, China
N = 5,581
- Population
- Men aged 30-69 years in Qidong county who were chronic carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBsAg positive).
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial in Qidong county, Jiangsu Province, China, 1989-1995, among men aged 30-69 who were HBsAg-positive. 5581 HBsAg carriers identified by population screening were randomly assigned (the abstract does not state whether the unit of randomisation was individual or group). Screening was planned as six-monthly alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) assays, with follow-up of an abnormal test (20 micrograms/l or higher); all subjects were followed to 31 December 1995.
- Arms
- Screening group (group A) (experimental, n = 3,712): Planned six-monthly AFP assays with follow-up of abnormal results (20 micrograms/l or higher)
- Control group (group B) (control, n = 1,869): No screening
- People
- Chen JG
Δ Stage I share of liver cancers at diagnosis+23.6 pointsΔ 12-month Relative survival after liver cancer diagnosis+14 points
Show the numbers
| Endpoint | Analysis | Screening group (group A) | Control group (group B) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage I share of liver cancers at diagnosisPrimary liver cancers diagnosed during follow-up (374 cases in both groups) | exploratoryChen 2003 | 29.6% | 6% | The abstract describes the difference as significant but gives no P value. |
| Relative survival after liver cancer diagnosisPeople diagnosed with primary liver cancer during follow-up | exploratoryChen 2003 | 23.7% at 12 mo; 7% at 3 y; 4% at 5 y | 9.7% at 12 mo; 4% at 3 y; 4.1% at 5 y | The authors report no difference in five-year survival between the groups. The unit of this endpoint is people with a liver cancer diagnosis, not all people randomised. |
| Endpoint | Analysis | Screening group (group A) | Control group (group B) | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage I share of liver cancers at diagnosisPrimary liver cancers diagnosed during follow-up (374 cases in both groups) | exploratoryChen 2003 | 29.6% | 6% | The abstract describes the difference as significant but gives no P value. |
| Relative survival after liver cancer diagnosisPeople diagnosed with primary liver cancer during follow-up | exploratoryChen 2003 | 23.7% at 12 mo; 7% at 3 y; 4% at 5 y | 9.7% at 12 mo; 4% at 3 y; 4.1% at 5 y | The authors report no difference in five-year survival between the groups. The unit of this endpoint is people with a liver cancer diagnosis, not all people randomised. |