TERT and neoplasm: On the other hand, while tumor status, including BCLC stage, tumor size, tumor number, and tumor markers (AFP and DCP), did not significantly differ between the presence and absence of a TERT mutation, patients with a TERT promoter mutation had significantly higher Child–Pugh scores and ALBI scores than those without a TERT mutation, suggesting an association between TERT ctDNA and more advanced background liver disease.