Tumor marker clustering predicts hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes.

A multi-institutional study involving 1,515 hepatocellular carcinoma patients revealed that combining preoperative alpha-fetoprotein and des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin levels enables effective prognostic clustering. Patients in cluster 3 exhibited the worst five-year overall survival rate of 52.8% and a high recurrence rate of 79.3%. Conversely, cluster 4 showed superior outcomes with a 71.5% survival rate. Notably, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin was a stronger overall survival predictor in patients with preserved liver function.