When the patients were stratified according to the number of factors they were positive for (0, 1, 2 and 3–4), Kaplan-Meir analysis of OS revealed that the higher score groups had poorer prognosis (Figure 2), indicating that EpCAM expression in HCCs together with DCP level, age, and C-P score could be used to reliably predict the outcome for HCC patients after surgery. This evidence concerns the gene ACE and hepatocellular carcinoma.