HGF and neoplasm: When responders (CR/PR) were compared to a combined group of patients with SD <24 weeks and/or PD (defined as tumor response extremes), three proteins showed potential association with increased response rate: lower baseline Ang-2 concentrations (p = 0.0236, FDR = 0.9816); lower baseline hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) concentrations (p = 0.0442, FDR = 0.9818); and higher baseline MMP-2 concentrations (p = 0.0233, FDR = 0.9818); however, for these three proteins, FDR was high (>0.98).