Evolution of Plasma Proteasome Levels Following Curative Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Cirrhotic Patients

HCC occurs in the vast majority of cases in the context of cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is considered a pre-cancerous state, which justifies systematic screening for HCC. Screening currently relies on measurement of alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) levels and ultrasound scans every 4 to 6 months. However, AFP has poor sensitivity as a marker for HCC. We have recently shown that plasma proteasome levels have a higher sensitivity than HCC for detecting HCC in cirrhotic patients, particularly when the tumors are small and can still benefit from curative treatment. The hypothesis of the study is that plasma proteasome levels will decrease following curative treatment, and that proteasome levels could be used as a marker to detect early recurrence. The goal of this study is to determine whether plasma proteasome levels in cirrhotic patients with HCC decrease following curative treatment (radiofrequency, surgical resection, liver transplantation). Plasma proteasome levels will be measured before treatment and 3 months after treatment, then subsequently at 3 month intervals over one year following treatment. The variation of proteasome levels will be compared to AFP levels. The sensitivity of proteasome as a marker to detect tumor recurrence will be evaluated, and compared to AFP.