Molecular determinants including mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in certain tumour-suppressor genes (i.e. p53, IGF2R, RB1, PTEN) and oncogenes (i.e. N-ras, E2F4) have recently been proposed and summarised in the pathway of molecular pathogenesis of human HCC (Feitelson et al, 2002; Thorgeirsson and Grisham, 2002). Here, TP53 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.