TGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: HCC patients manifest conspicuously elevated levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and frequently show increased co-expression of TGF-alpha and EGFR [8], leading to active and massive cell proliferation because TGF-alpha, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligand EGF play important roles in cell proliferation [9].