Our findings demonstrate that NRP-1 and VEGFR-2 expressed by peritumoral liver cells predict a favorable postoperative outcome with prolonged TTR and extended OS of HCC patients and highlight the important role of VEGFRs expressed on residual liver cells, which may exert a decoy effect on competition for VEGFA binding with endothelial cells, providing a hostile peritumoral environment for recurrence and metastasis. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma.