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liver cancer

Practice targeted AMC-style multiple-choice questions on liver cancer.

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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 68-year-old male with known Hepatitis B related cirrhosis and a history of alcohol excess presents for routine surveillance. His alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, which has been stable at 15 ng/mL for the past two years, is now noted to be 185 ng/mL. A screening ultrasound performed three months prior was reported as showing diffuse parenchymal changes consistent with cirrhosis but no focal lesions. Due to the elevated AFP, a repeat ultrasound was performed, which identified a 2.5 cm nodule in segment VIII. To further characterise this lesion, a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed, and the images provided are representative findings from this study. The patient has well-compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) and no significant comorbidities. His liver function tests are within normal limits except for a slightly elevated GGT. Given the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the provided images, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Discuss the case in a multidisciplinary team meeting to determine suitability for curative therapy.
B. Perform a core needle biopsy of the lesion for histological confirmation.
C. Proceed directly to surgical resection of the lesion.
D. Repeat the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months.
E. Initiate systemic chemotherapy with Sorafenib.
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with a history of chronic hepatitis C presents with right upper quadrant pain, weight loss, and jaundice. Vital signs are stable. Physical examination reveals hepatomegaly and mild ascites. Laboratory investigations include elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Imaging is performed as shown. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the imaging, which of the following assessments is MOST crucial for determining the feasibility and type of definitive treatment for the identified lesion?

A. Confirmation of hepatitis C viral load
B. Assessment of underlying liver synthetic function (e.g., Child-Pugh score)
C. Evaluation for extrahepatic metastatic disease
D. Assessment of portal vein patency
E. Measurement of the lesion's maximum diameter
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with a history of chronic hepatitis C presents with right upper quadrant pain, weight loss, and jaundice. Physical examination reveals hepatomegaly and mild ascites. Laboratory investigations include elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. Imaging is performed as shown. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the imaging, which of the following factors is MOST critical in determining this patient's eligibility for potentially curative surgical resection?

A. Absolute value of serum alpha-fetoprotein
B. Genotype of hepatitis C virus
C. Tumour size and number
D. Patient's chronological age
E. Presence of clinically significant portal hypertension
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 68-year-old man with known alcoholic cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. He reports mild fatigue. Liver function tests are within his baseline (Child-Pugh A). Alpha-fetoprotein is 150 ng/mL. The provided images are obtained. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the images, which of the following treatment modalities is most likely to be considered first for this patient?

A. Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
B. Surgical resection
C. Palliative care
D. Systemic targeted therapy (e.g., Sorafenib)
E. Liver transplantation assessment
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 68-year-old male with known Hepatitis B related cirrhosis and a history of alcohol excess presents for routine surveillance. His alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, which has been stable at 15 ng/mL for the past two years, is now noted to be 185 ng/mL. A screening ultrasound performed three months prior was reported as showing diffuse parenchymal changes consistent with cirrhosis but no focal lesions. Due to the elevated AFP, a repeat ultrasound was performed, which identified a 2.5 cm nodule in segment VIII. To further characterise this lesion, a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed, and the images provided are representative findings from this study. The patient has well-compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) and no significant comorbidities. His liver function tests are within normal limits except for a slightly elevated GGT. Given the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the provided images, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Referral for urgent liver transplant assessment
B. Repeat the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months to assess for interval change
C. Perform a percutaneous biopsy of the lesion for histological confirmation
D. Referral for discussion regarding locoregional therapy (e.g., ablation) or surgical resection
E. Initiate systemic therapy with sorafenib
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with known cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis B presents with increasing abdominal distension and fatigue. He has mild ascites. Liver function tests show bilirubin 35 umol/L, INR 1.3, albumin 30 g/L. AFP is 850 ng/mL. Imaging is performed as shown. Based on the imaging findings and clinical presentation, which of the following treatment modalities is MOST likely to be considered for this patient?

A. Initiation of systemic targeted therapy
B. Referral for liver transplantation assessment
C. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation
D. Transarterial chemoembolisation
E. Surgical resection
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with chronic hepatitis C presents with right upper quadrant pain, weight loss, and mild ascites. Laboratory tests show elevated alpha-fetoprotein. Imaging is performed. Based on the clinical context and the findings depicted in the provided imaging, which of the following factors is MOST important in assessing this patient's suitability for potentially curative surgical management?

A. Evidence of portal venous thrombosis or invasion.
B. Absolute level of serum alpha-fetoprotein.
C. Patient's body mass index.
D. Maximum diameter of the hepatic lesion.
E. Specific viral load of hepatitis C RNA.
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to NAFLD presents for routine surveillance. A new 3 cm lesion was found in segment VIII on ultrasound, with AFP 45. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed, with representative images shown. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in this patient's management?

A. Schedule repeat surveillance ultrasound in 3 months.
B. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board for staging and treatment planning.
C. Referral for immediate liver transplantation assessment.
D. Proceed directly to percutaneous biopsy of the lesion.
E. Initiate systemic therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
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