HGF and cancer: Additionally, increased secretion of growth factors such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) may stimulate proliferation in epithelial cells, affecting vasculature as well as cancer cells [29].