Electrochemical Biosensors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Advances, Analytical Performance, and Clinical Translation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide due to the limited sensitivity of current surveillance and diagnostic strategies for early-stage detection. Electrochemical biosensors have emerged as promising tools for HCC diagnostics owing to their high sensitivity, rapid response, low cost, and compatibility with point-of-care testing. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in electrochemical biosensors for HCC detection, focusing on key biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), glypican-3 (GPC-3), AFP-L3, and circulating nucleic acids. We discuss developments in biorecognition strategies, nanomaterial-assisted signal amplification, and analytical performance of reported sensor platforms. In addition, the review critically examines the gap between laboratory-scale sensor performance particularly ultra-low detection limits and practical clinical requirements, including selectivity in complex biological matrices, reproducibility, long-term stability, and validation using clinical samples. The review also discusses how nanomaterial selection, fabrication complexity, and device variability influence the clinical translation of electrochemical biosensors. Finally, the review highlights future directions for developing clinically viable electrochemical biosensors, including multiplex biomarker detection, standardized validation with real clinical samples, scalable manufacturing approaches, and integration with artificial intelligence and digital health platforms to improve HCC monitoring.