To investigate the predictive value and dynamic change of AFP, AFP-L3, L3/AFP ratio, GP73 and some routine blood tests in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after surgery.

Serums of 36 patients with HCC in pre-operation, post-operation and recurrence were collected during 2 years follow-up and serum tumor biomarkers levels were determined. Kaplan Meier analysis and Log-rank test were used to evaluate the survival rates and the related risk factors. Cox model was used for multivariate analysis. Pre-operation, post-operation and recurrence data were compared using Wilcoxon and paired t test.

The 2-year follow-up rate was 94.4% and the median follow up time was 10 months. The patient tumor recurrence rate was 91.2%. On univariate analysis using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and the log-rank test, only GP73 was associated with tumor recurrence of HCC patients after surgery (χ²=4.695, P=0.03). COX analysis showed that AFP-L3, PT and PTA levels were independent risk factors for tumor recurrence. The matched-pair analysis showed that there were statistically significant changes in AFP, AFP-L3, GP73, TBIL, ALT levels (P<0.05) after surgery and in AFP, AFP-L3, L3/AFP, GP73 levels (P<0.05) after recurrence.

The preoperative GP73 level should be considered to predict the risk recurrence and monitoring serum tumor biomarkers such as AFP has certain guidance significance to evaluation of surgery effect of HCC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma; Tumor biomarkers; Recurrence; Risk prediction