Importantly, these patients suffered from a reduced capacity to induce TPO expression after surgery: Plasma TPO levels failed to increase after liver resection in HCC patients (median TPO levels HCC POD 1 = 39.6 pg/ml, P = 0.085; Fig. 2A) and were found to be significantly lower than in mCRC patients (median TPO levels mCRC POD 1 = 77.38 pg/ml, P = 0.019; Fig. 2A). Here, TPO is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.