AFP and cancer: HCC is one of the deadliest cancers in the world and has a poor prognosis despite improved early diagnosis and combined therapy.[26] Currently, serum AFP, ultrasonography, and CT scanning are important methods for the early diagnosis of HCC; however, the misdiagnosis rate is high.[27,28] Therefore, the investigation of effective prognostic biomarkers is a pivotal area among the several considerations in HCC research.