The upregulation of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a key enzyme in arachidonic acid metabolism, is believed to be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis (8,9) and induce HCC angiogenesis via vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (10,11), making COX-2 a rational therapeutic target for selective COX-2 inhibitors, including celecoxib. Here, VEGFA is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.