HGF and neoplasm: Higher serum soluble HGF was found in patients with invasive breast cancer compared with healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis suggested that advanced tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging was an independent factor regarding the high level of HGF (p < 0.001). Preoperative serum HGF levels might reflect the severity of invasive breast cancer [121].