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©2013 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 7, 2013; 19(21): 3369-3370
Published online Jun 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i21.3369
Published online Jun 7, 2013. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v19.i21.3369
Is the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases recommendation for hepatocellular carcinoma screening a cul-de-sac?
Alain Braillon, Public Health, Northern Hospital, 80000 Amiens, France
Author contributions: Braillon A solely contributed to this paper.
Correspondence to: Alain Braillon, MD, PhD, Public Health, Northern Hospital, 27 rue Voiture, 80000 Amiens, France. braillon.alain@gmail.com
Telephone: +33-3-22668883 Fax: +33-3-22668955
Received: October 26, 2012
Revised: March 12, 2013
Accepted: March 15, 2013
Published online: June 7, 2013
Processing time: 220 Days and 19.1 Hours
Revised: March 12, 2013
Accepted: March 15, 2013
Published online: June 7, 2013
Processing time: 220 Days and 19.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Why should hepatocellular carcinoma be an exception in the long list of other cancers where the feasibility and the efficacy of screening were investigated by randomized trials? The ethics of belief is a treacherous reef. Screening is not just performing a test, but is a public health issue: a national program is needed to ensure minimal participation, quality controls and evaluation of the results to improve the process.