The results showed that patients with high-risk scores had shorter OS in some HCC subgroups (Figure 7, Additional file 4: Supplementary Figure S2), including male patients (2.083 [95% CI, 1.227–3.537], P=0.007), patients ≤ 60 years (2.750 [95% CI, 1.432–5.283], P=0.002), patients with risk factors (2.391 [95% CI, 1.417–4.034], P=0.001), AJCC stage I patients (3.336 [95% CI, 1.631–6.822], P=0.001), patients without vascular invasion (3.495 [95% CI, 1.895–6.445], P<0.001) and patients with low AFP levels (4.262 [95% CI, 1.692–10.740], P=0.002). This evidence concerns the gene AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma.