sAxl outperformed AFP for the detection of very early HCC (BCLC 0) (AUROC 0.848 vs. 0.797; sensitivity 76.9 vs. 38.5%), and the combination of sAxl and AFP exhibited an AUROC of 0.937, a sensitivity of 84.5%, and a specificity of 92.3% in diagnosing HCC (113). The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.