Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer

HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKERS: INTEGRATIVE MOLECULAR AND CLINICAL ADVANCES (2025 REVIEW)

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common primary malignancy of the liver and a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Traditional diagnostic strategies centered on alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and imaging have limited sensitivity, especially for early-stage disease. Recent molecular advances have transformed the diagnostic paradigm, incorporating glycoproteins such as Golgi protein 73 (GP73) and glypican-3 (GPC3), coagulation markers such as des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (PIVKA-II), and liquid biopsy components including circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs). These biomarkers, alongside radiomic and metabolomic innovations, offer accuracy levels previously unattainable in hepatology. This review integrates findings from sixteen recent peer-reviewed studies (2024–2025) to delineate diagnostic efficacy, mechanistic relevance, and clinical implications, highlighting the emergence of multi-marker and AI-assisted detection systems.

Keywords

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); liver cancer; diagnostic biomarkers; alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); Protein Induced by Vitamin K Absence or Antagonist-II (PIVKA-II); des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP); Golgi Protein 73 (GP73); Glypican-3 (GPC3); microRNAs (miRNAs); long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs); circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA); cell-free DNA (cfDNA); liquid biopsy; radiomics; metabolomics; artificial intelligence (AI); machine learning; molecular diagnostics; multi-omics integration; early detection.

PDF

References

  1. Marrero, J.A. et al. (2024). Liver Cancer Biomarkers: Current Status and Future Perspectives. Hepatology, 78(2), 456–472.
  2. Ji, J. et al. (2025). GP73 and AFP-L3 as Diagnostic Biomarkers for HCC. Clinical Cancer Research, 31(4), 612–624.
  3. Zhang, X. et al. (2025). PIVKA-II in Primary Liver Cancer. J. Clin. Transl. Hepatology. https://www.xiahepublishing.com/2310-8819/JCTH-2025-00377
  4. Yang, D. et al. (2025). ctDNA Methylation in HCC Management. BBA – Reviews on Cancer, 1870(2), 239–256.
  5. Antony, B.S. et al. (2025). MicroRNA Polymorphisms and HCC Risk. Egyptian Liver Journal, 15(1), 21–32.
  6. Kudo, M. et al. (2025). Roadmap for HCC Surveillance. Cancers (MDPI), 17(12), 1928.
  7. Blake, H. et al. (2025). Imaging Biomarkers and Surgical Planning in HCC. ResearchGate Preprint.
  8. Li, K. et al. (2025). Integrated Biomarker Models for HCC Detection. Molecular Cancer, 24(5), 201–212.
  9. Surma, S. & Bułdak, Ł. (2025). MASLD and HCC: Molecular Pathways. Front. Endocrinol., 16, 1703019.
  10. Cheng, Y. et al. (2025). Evolution of China’s HCC Guidelines. Zhonghua Wai Ke Za Zhi, 63(11), 977–984.
  11. Lucaciu, R.L. et al. (2025). GPC3 in HCC Diagnosis. Int. J. Mol. Sci., 26(10), 4863.
  12. Abenavoli, L. et al. (2025). GAAD Score for Early HCC Detection. J. Clin. Exp. Hepatology, 15(2), 341–355.
  13. Mir, M. et al. (2025). lncRNA MSC-AS1 in HCC. Asian Pac. J. Cancer Biol., 10(3), 233–240.
  14. Tobaruela-Resola, A.L. et al. (2025). miRNA Biomarkers in MASLD-HCC. J. Physiol. Biochem., 81(1), 91–104.
  15. Adugna, A. et al. (2025). Serum Proteins in HBV-HCC. Immunity, Inflammation & Disease, 13(3), 70171.
  16. Feng, F. & Xu, X. (2025). Novel Therapeutic and Diagnostic Strategies in HCC. Frontiers in Medicine, 12, 1690673.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.