Postoperative mortality of patients with HCC was influenced by the following risk factors (Table 3): DPHCC (P = 0.023), CK19 positivity (P = 0.006), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage C (P = 0.027), multiple nodules (P = 0.024), serum albumin <35 g/L (P = 0.046) and CA19-9 >37 ng/ml (P = 0.017). The gene discussed is ALB; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.