Objective: To increase the detection rate of primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) and to diagnose PHC earlier.
Methods: AFP was combined with r-glutamyle transpeptidase (r-GT), alpha-fucosidase (AFU), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and DR-70.
Results: The positive detection rate of PHC negative AFP with combined four markers was 9.4%. The total positive detection rate of PHC with combined five tumor markers reached 98.0% which was significantly higher than that with AFP (P < 0.01).
Conclusions: The positive detection rate of PHC can be increased by combined five tumor markers. It is helpful in diagnosing PHC earlier and can differentiate PHC from liver cirrhosis.