When the screening-level FPR is fixed at 5% (Table A in Additional file 1: Appendix B), we observe that the PEB algorithm outperforms the other approaches implemented for all the definitions of true positive screenings in HCC cases except when comparing the PEB approach to the AFP+Lab+ ΔAFP approach in the three to six and three to twelve months prior to clinical diagnosis (defintion A2 and B2). The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.