VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: The finding of the current study (i.e., the HCV core protein induces the expression of VEGF and promotes the proangiogenic activity of HCC cells) cannot completely clarify why sorafenib, but not other inhibitors of VEGF receptors such as sunitinib and brivanib, confers more therapeutic efficacy in HCV-positive HCC patients than in HCV-negative HCC patients [33, 34].