Twist+ CTCs were detected in 54 out of the 80 (67.5%) HCC patients [18], the ratio of twist+ CTCs was positively correlated with some clinical parameters, including portal vein tumor thrombi, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), cirrhosis, tumor number, tumor size, and microvascular invasion. Here, AFP is linked to Cirrhosis.