The GALAD score (gender (G), age (A), AFP-L3 (L), AFP (A), and DCP (D)) was successfully tested for detection of early and non-cirrhotic HCC patients to address the limitations of AFP in the detection of early-stage HCC patients, although RAE1 expression level was found independent of age (A) and gender (G) in the present study. This evidence concerns the gene AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma.