Criteria for selecting surgical resection in early hepatocellular carcinoma include a Child- Pugh score (a method to assess liver functional reserve that considers serum albumin, bilirubin, prothrombin time, and subjective assessment of encephalopathy and ascites- classified as Child- Pugh A for compensated liver function as class A, and loss of compensated function as classes B and C) of class A, absence of portal hypertension, and no vascular invasion by the tumor. The gene discussed is ALB; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.