MAGEA3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Assay by nested RT–PCR to detect MAGE-1 and/or MAGE-3 transcripts, the tumour-specific markers, revealed that 56.6% (5 out of 9) patients with HCC in stage II have already had micro-metastasis to the peripheral blood, a parameter to detect occult hematogenous dissemination of HCC cells much earlier than any other means described.