Clinicopathological data, involving tissue expression of IGF system components in patients with HCC, confirmed that the decreased IGF1 secretion, an increased tissue expression of IGF1R, accompanied by a reduced expression of IGFBPs (mainly of IGFBP3), could also be used as prognostic markers in HCC, independent prognostic factors of HCC survival (IGFBP1), or may function as a tumor suppressor (IGFBP7). The gene discussed is IGF1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.