A new blood test can detect a precursor to liver disease, which can in turn be a harbinger of cancer. The hope is that the test could help prevent liver cancer before it occurs.

The test uses a machine learning model to analyze free-floating genetic material circulating in the blood. In the new study, researchers used it to detect bits of DNA that point to early-stage liver scarring, or fibrosis. This early scarring, if left untreated, can develop into severe liver scarring, called cirrhosis, and eventually cancer.