Cancer ResearchNine-Metabolite Blood Test Detects Liver Cancer Early With 93% Accuracy
Researchers across 13 Chinese medical centers profiled serum metabolites from over 2,100 participants using high-throughput nanoparticle-enhanced mass spectrometry. They identified nine metabolites that, combined with the standard AFP blood marker, detected liver cancer with an AUC of 0.93 in external validation — well above AFP alone. The panel was especially strong for early-stage disease (85% sensitivity) and hepatocellular carcinoma specifically. One standout metabolite, nicotinamide (a form of vitamin B3 and NAD+ precursor), was shown through Mendelian randomization to have a potential causal role in liver cancer risk. Lab experiments revealed nicotinamide drives cancer cell proliferation and invasion by boosting NAD+, activating SIRT1, stabilizing HIF1α, and switching on glycolysis and MAPK signaling pathways.
