We have identified eight potential FZD activating events, each occurring in a significant proportion of HCCs (⩾20%) – that is, upregulation of FZD3/6/7 and WNT3/4/5A, and repression of sFRP1/sFRP5 – which accumulate with severity of the liver disease and tumour stage. This evidence concerns the gene SFRP5 and neoplasm.