In patients with hepatitis C who develop hepatocellular carcinoma, the serum alpha-fetoprotein level around the time when the cancer is diagnosed is an independent predictor of mortality, Dr. Gia L. Tyson and her colleagues reported in the November issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.Serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level has been incorporated into at least three of the major staging and prognostic scoring systems for hepatocellular carcinoma, all of which were developed in patient populations...