When using a cutoff of 20 ng/mL, AFP exhibits good sensitivity but poor specificity, whereas at a cutoff of 200 ng/mL, sensitivity becomes inadequate despite high specificity.[8,9] Moreover, in the early stages of HCC, detection rates can be as low as one-third, and AFP levels may remain within the normal range in some cases of advanced HCC. This evidence concerns the gene AFP and hepatocellular carcinoma.