This seemly contradictory role of integrins reflects the importance of a suitable interaction between cancer cells and the microenvironment, or ECM, at the suitable stage of tumor progression; in this study, an EDIL3-integrin alliance may be exploited by detached HCC cells to escape anoikis when cells detach from the primary lesion, which resulted into a higher success rate of metastasis. The gene discussed is EDIL3; the disease is cancer.