The results demonstrated that the positive rate (78.1 %) and AUC (0.861) in clinical stage I HCC patients were significantly higher than those (57.1 % and 0.767) in clinical stage II HCC patients (Pearson Chi-Square test, P = 0.022; De Long's test for AUC, z = 1.975, P = 0.048), as shown in Fig. 2C and D. There was no statistical difference in AUCs between AFP (−) group and AFP (+) group (De Long's test, z = 0.928, P = 0.354) (Fig. 2E and F). The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.