STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Some literatures on HCC study indicate that matrix stiffness regulating HCC cell proliferation, drug resistance and angiogenesis might be through focal adhesion kinase (FAK), extracellular-signal-regulated kinase (ERK) /signal transducer and activator of transcription member 3 (STAT3), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways [12–14].