It is produced in a number of organs and is now known to be a multifunctional factor with various biological activities.4–6 HGF was found to be elevated in serum from patients with liver disease and cancer, including those with malignancies of the breast,7 stomach,8,9 colorectum,10 and lung.11 Furthermore, HGF was inversely correlated with survival time in cancer patients,12 which indicates that it might be a prognostic marker in such patients.10,13 However, existing reports are limited to patients with diagnosed cancer. This evidence concerns the gene HGF and cancer.