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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, liver cancer) is a prevalent form of liver disease, particularly in the Far East and Central Africa, which is fatal if not treated. Early detection is critical to the implementation of a successful therapeutic program. Currently, ultrasound and blood chemistry (alpha-fetoprotein levels) are used to diagnose HCC. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), a technique in which tiny amounts of liver tissue are removed with a very long, thin needle, is easy, harmless, and has been shown to be very sensitive (between 70 and 100 percent accurate) in the diagnosis of other types of tumors. FNAB was performed on 72 patients seen over the course of a year for suspected liver disorders, and the biopsy specimens were microscopically evaluated. Final diagnosis of HCC was made with standard diagnostic tools, as well as surgical exploration and autopsy results. Fifty-eight of these patients were ultimately diagnosed with HCC; the remainder had a variety of unrelated liver ailments, including benign tumors and nodular and fatty infiltration of the liver. Only 69 percent of the FNAB procedures allowed diagnosis of HCC. Using this method, 97 percent of the patients with positive results were confirmed to have HCC; only 40 percent of those patients with negative results actually did not have HCC. These findings indicate that FNAB is a useful diagnostic technique for patients with HCC, but the large proportion of tests yielding false negative results demonstrate that the diagnostic accuracy of the procedure must be improved. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)