Following long-term DEN-induced inflammatory hepatocarcinogenesis (9 months), hepatocytes isolated from HCC tumor tissue or surrounding paracancerous tissue displayed significant upregulation in CCR10 expression, PI3K expression, Akt expression, Akt phosphorylation, and PCNA expression relative to hepatocytes isolated from matching normal liver tissue (Fig. 11). Here, CCR10 is linked to neoplasm.