The gold standard for the diagnosis of liver cancer should be referred to as the gold standard for the diagnosis of liver cancer is a liver puncture biopsy. The gold standard for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma remains pathologic histologic and/or cytologic findings. Patients with liver-occupying lesions with typical liver cancer imaging features that meet the clinical diagnostic criteria for liver cancer usually do not need puncture biopsy of liver lesions for diagnostic purposes; however, for liver-occupying lesions that lack the typical liver cancer imaging features, pathological examination is the gold standard for the diagnosis of primary liver cancer. It should be noted that for lesions ≤2cm in diameter, there is a certain false-negative rate for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma; therefore, negative results of hepatocellular carcinoma biopsy cannot completely exclude the possibility of hepatocellular carcinoma, and regular follow-up is still needed. If liver cancer is considered, it should be treated actively to avoid serious consequences.