As for the clinical significance of our findings, the additive value of PIVKA‐II to AFP in HCC diagnosis among cirrhotic patients was mainly observed in BCLC‐B HCC patients of the whole study population, as well as in BCLC‐B and C patients when HCC patients with very high/diagnostic AFP levels (>400 ng/mL) were excluded. The gene discussed is AFP; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.