Normally, healthy individuals cannot detect DCP in their serum, as it is an abnormal prothrombin produced by malignant hepatocytes; its abnormal secretion seems to be attributed to an acquired defect in the posttranslational vitamin-K-dependent carboxylation of a prothrombin precursor, so it can be utilized as an HCC-specific biomarker, with a sensitivity of ~60% and a specificity of ~90% [40]. Here, ACE is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.