Suppressed HPCAL1 expression worsened clinical outcome in patients with HCC.11 On the contrary, interaction between HPCAL1 and wild‐type paired‐like homeobox 2b (WT PHOX2B) influenced the outgrowth of neurites in human neuroblastoma cells with PHOX2B expression. This evidence concerns the gene PHOX2B and hepatocellular carcinoma.