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NCT07704216Not yet recruiting

Peritumoral MRE Stiffness for Predicting Resection Margin Status and Recurrence in Liver Cancer

A Prospective Study on the Association Between Peritumoral Elasticity Measured by Three-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Elastography and Pathological Resection Margin Status and Postoperative Recurrence in Patients With Liver Cancer

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 15 Jul 2026

Brief summary (registry, in English)

Microscopic residual tumor at the resection margin is a critical risk factor for recurrence in patients undergoing hepatectomy for liver cancer, yet current detection relies solely on postoperative pathological examination of the resected specimen, which reflects only the removed tissue rather than the actual remnant liver in the patient. How to non-invasively detect residual tumor at the resection margin of the remnant liver after surgery remains an important unresolved problem in the surgical management of liver cancer. We hypothesize that tissue stiffness at the resection margin of the remnant liver, measured by postoperative three-dimensional magnetic resonance elastography (3D-MRE), may reflect microscopic residual tumor and may therefore correlate with pathological resection margin status and be predictive of postoperative tumor recurrence. This study aims to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of postoperative 3D-MRE in detecting residual tumor at the resection margin, using pathological resection margin status as the reference standard, and to further assess its value in predicting tumor recurrence in patients undergoing hepatectomy for liver cancer.

Status (registry)
Not yet recruiting
Study type
Observational
Enrollment
150 (estimated)
First submitted
10 Jul 2026
Start date
1 Aug 2026
Primary completion date
1 Oct 2029
Lead sponsor
Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University
NCT number
NCT07704216

What you commit to

  • Study type: Observational
  • Planned participants: 150
  • From 1 Aug 2026 to the primary completion date, 1 Oct 2029
  • No sites listed in no country
  • Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them

Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.

Who cannot take part

Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.

Prior treatment

  • Contraindication to MRI (e.g., non-MRI-compatible implants, severe claustrophobia)
  • Palliative or non-curative surgery (R2 resection)
  • Reoperation or unplanned return to surgery within 14 days after the initial hepatectomy
  • Death within 14 days after surgery from non-tumor-related causes
  • Prior history of liver resection or liver transplantation

Other illness

  • Presence of unresectable extrahepatic disease at the time of surgery

Other

  • Severe postoperative complications precluding MRI examination at postoperative day 7-14 (e.g., unstable vital signs, need for intensive care)
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Anticipated poor compliance with postoperative MRE examination or follow-up

Who the study is looking for

  • Age 18-80 years
  • Pathologically confirmed diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, or liver metastasis (e.g., from colorectal cancer)
  • Underwent curative-intent hepatectomy with available postoperative pathological resection margin assessment
  • Child-Pugh class A or B liver function (for patients with primary liver cancer)
  • Able to undergo 3D-MRE examination at postoperative day 7-14
  • Provision of signed and dated informed consent

Age in the registry: 18 years to 80 years · Sex: All · Does not accept healthy volunteers

Full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov

This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.