Telemedicine network for ultrasound screening of HCC

Neoplasic diseases are widely recognized as extremely disabling, requiring in advanced stages a large amount of medical, technical, and financial support and, eventually, leading to death. This is why it is recommended to early diagnose them, gaining time for proper care and/or cure. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of these neoplasic diseases, meeting the requirements to become the target of a close surveillance: it is a frequent condition; it has a high rate of mortality; it affects a very well defined at risk population (chronic liver diseases patients). This population can be closely followed-up using a sensitive and easily accepted method (ultrasonography - US). Under these circumstances, the improvement of the screening and surveillance system for the patients at risk for HCC is needed, so the early diagnosis is increased, as well as the chance for an efficient and curative therapeutic intervention. A possible choice would be a telemedicine network for the US screening of a large number of chronic liver disease patients (especially liver cirrhosis) for the early detection of HCC.