HMOX1 and cancer: Radical tumor resection is the most effective treatment, but the recurrence rate is still high and most cases undergo recurrence in the intrahepatic area.[1] Unfortunately, most HCC patients suffer relapses within 2 years after operation.[2] Tremendous efforts have been made to identify factors affecting patient survival, and some studies have emphasized the role of cancer cell viability, probably due to overexpression of cytoprotective proteins,[3] such as inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs)[4] and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).[5]