Studies have found that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) secreted by vascular endothelial cells in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma promote EMT and metastasis of tumour cells via the VEGFR-2/HEF1/AKT/Twist1 pathway. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.