Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global health challenge, with postoperative recurrence exceeding 40–50% within 2 years after curative-intent hepatectomy.1,2 Historically, prediction models have largely focused on static preoperative factors—most notably alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and the tumor burden score (TBS)—to estimate recurrence-free survival (RFS).3,4 While offering valuable baseline insights, these predictors fail to capture changes in tumor biology that occur after resection. Here, AFP is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.