ACE and hepatocellular carcinoma: DCP is an adjunctive marker to AFP and is elevated in certain HCC patients with low AFP levels or who test negative for AFP.16 A clinical combination test of DCP and AFP has shown the potential to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of ANHC.17 However, the use of DCP in clinical diagnosis also has its limitations, such as the risk of elevated DCP levels in benign liver diseases and other forms of cancer, which may necessitate additional tests combining multiple diagnostic indicators and imaging exams.