Clinical Significance of AFP and PIVKA-II Responses for Monitoring Treatment Outcomes and Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

AIM: Recently, the utility of tumor markers in the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) field has received a good deal of attention. Here, we review and summarize the results of studies on the roles played by the α -fetoprotein (AFP) and prothrombin induced by the absence of vitamin K or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) responses in terms of the monitoring of outcomes and prediction of prognosis after various HCC treatments. METHODS: Studies lodged in PUBMED and that satisfied our inclusion criteria were reviewed. RESULTS: We reviewed 12 studies measuring both AFP and PIVKA-II responses in HCC patients treated in various ways. The results are presented by treatment modality. CONCLUSION: Measurement of AFP and PIVKA II marker levels before and after HCC treatment is clinically useful in monitoring of treatment outcomes and prognosis and in predicting recurrence and survival.