AIM To evaluate the significance of alhafetoprotein (AFP). gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT).Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) in diagnosis of primary hepaticcancer.METHODS Thirty-six patients with liver carcinoma (male 26, female 10, aged 29- 72 years), 6 withhepatic metastasis of gastrointestinal cancer (all male, aged 37- 69 years), 62 with benign liver diseases(male 53, female 9, aged 32- 71 years) and 222 without liver diseases (male 152, female 70, aged 22- 76years) were studied. Blood samples were taken by venipuncture. Serum was separated and frozen at -20℃until the analysis was made. AFP, CEA and CA125 were measured by RIA.RESULTS Serum AFP in liver cancer (476.3 - 181.4 ug/L) was significantly higher than that in hepaticmetastasis of gastrointestinal cancer, benign liver diseases and monhepatic diseases (P