The present invention relates to a method of detecting
liver cancer in a mammalian subject by detecting an
antibody in a
test sample comprising a bodily fluid from the mammalian subject, wherein the
antibody is an
autoantibody immunologically specific for a tumour marker
protein selected from the group consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B, which method comprises contacting the
test sample with a tumour marker
antigen selected from the group consisting of MMP9, AIF1, EpCAM and CDKN1B and determining the presence or absence of complexes of the tumour marker
antigen bound to autoantibodies present in the
test sample where the presence of said complexes is indicative of the presence of
liver cancer. Also included within the invention are corresponding methods of diagnosing and treating
liver cancer in a mammalian subject, corresponding methods of predicting response to an anti-liver
cancer treatment, a corresponding method of detecting an
antibody in a test sample comprising a bodily fluid from a mammalian subject and kits suitable for performing methods of the invention.