3D MRE-based novel score predicts hepatocellular carcinoma development in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Motivation: Identifying patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) who are at high risk of HCC development for close monitoring to improve prognosis is crucial. Goal(s): We aimed to develop a 3D MRE-based risk score to predict HCC development in CHB patients. Approach: The novel HCC risk score was developed using liver shear stiffness and LSS, age, platelet count, and albumin. Results: Our results showed that the risk score has excellent performance for the identification of patients of HCC development, the cutoff value 55 of our risk score provided the high negative predictive value for HCC development at 3 and 5 years. Impact: MRE- based HCC risk score may be a non-invasively accurate tool for predicting HCC, which may provide a useful reference for decision-making in HCC surveillance strategy for CHB patients.