Demographic and clinical characteristics encompassed age, gender, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection status, ECOG performance status, white blood cell count (WBC), platelet count (PLT), albumin (ALB), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total bilirubin (TBIL), C-reactive protein (CRP), liver function grade (Child–Pugh), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19–9 (CA19-9), longest tumor diameter, tumor number, macroscopic vascular invasion, lymph node metastasis, extra-hepatic metastasis, and tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) stages. The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.