AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma: However, a significantly higher percentage of HCC patients in the high-CRRS group exhibited a high level of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (>300 ng/ml, p < 0.001), were at an advanced TNM stage (stage III or IV, p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively) and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage (stage B or C, p < 0.001), and had higher histologic grades (G3 or G4, p < 0.001).