Title: A comparison of clinical pathologic characteristics between alpha-fetoprotein negative
and positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients from Eastern and Southern China
Version: 2 Date: 10 Jan 2022
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your article. The authors described about
the relationship between alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and primary liver cancer. I comment about the
problem in this manuscript.
1. I cannot understand the significance of this study. The most results of this study are already
well-known. For example, patients with HCC, larger tumor size, portal vein thrombi, advanced
clinical stage had significantly higher AFP levels.
2. Generally, AFP level does not increase in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocellular
carcinoma (ICC). I recommend to exclude ICC and combined hepatocellular and
cholangiocellular carcinoma.
3. Deferential diagnosis of HCC, ICC, and combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular
carcinoma  by pathology is sometimes difficult. In such cases, did you use immunohistochemical
staining? If so, please describe that in the method section.
Title: A comparison of clinical pathologic characteristics between alpha-fetoprotein negative
and positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients from Eastern and Southern China
Version: 2 Date: 10 Jan 2022
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your article. The authors described about
the relationship between alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and primary liver cancer. I comment about the
problem in this manuscript.
1. I cannot understand the significance of this study. The most results of this study are already
well-known. For example, patients with HCC, larger tumor size, portal vein thrombi, advanced
clinical stage had significantly higher AFP levels.
2. Generally, AFP level does not increase in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocellular
carcinoma (ICC). I recommend to exclude ICC and combined hepatocellular and
cholangiocellular carcinoma.
3. Deferential diagnosis of HCC, ICC, and combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular
carcinoma  by pathology is sometimes difficult. In such cases, did you use immunohistochemical
staining? If so, please describe that in the method section.
Please review this paper.
user
Title: A comparison of clinical pathologic characteristics between alpha-fetoprotein negative
and positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients from Eastern and Southern China
Version: 2 Date: 10 Jan 2022
Reviewer's report:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to review your article. The authors described about
the relationship between alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and primary liver cancer. I comment about the
problem in this manuscript.
1. I cannot understand the significance of this study. The most results of this study are already
well-known. For example, patients with HCC, larger tumor size, portal vein thrombi, advanced
clinical stage had significantly higher AFP levels.
2. Generally, AFP level does not increase in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocellular
carcinoma (ICC). I recommend to exclude ICC and combined hepatocellular and
cholangiocellular carcinoma.
3. Deferential diagnosis of HCC, ICC, and combined hepatocellular and cholangiocellular
carcinoma  by pathology is sometimes difficult. In such cases, did you use immunohistochemical
staining? If so, please describe that in the method section.
assistant