Emerging Serum Biomarkers of HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide [1] and is associated with poor patient survival. This is largely due to late detection—the majority of patients are diagnosed at advanced stages when curative resection or liver transplantation can no longer be offered. While overall cancer mortality has decreased in the United States, the incidence of HCC continues to rise. In fact, HCC has become the fastest growing cancer in the USA [1]. Two prospective studies have suggested a survival benefit for HCC surveillance with AFP in patients with chronic HBV infection [2, 3]. These reports have been widely quoted as rationale for the continued efforts to identify and validate HCC serum markers for early detection in all patient cohorts. However, until the past year, no comparable studies had been performed in patients with cirrhosis and non-HBV-related liver disease.