Serum AFP level (P = 0.02), tumor size (P<0.001), tumor number (P<0.001), portal vein invasion (P<0.001), hepatic vein invasion (P<0.001), tumor differentiation (P<0.001), distant organ metastasis (P = 0.016) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.001) were independent predictors of the HCC patients' survival among the entire cohort (see Table 2). The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.