HGF and gastric cancer: High-throughput analyses have revealed that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) receptor c-Met, and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) are expressed at high levels in gastric cancer compared to normal tissues [6], suggesting that RTKs play a primary role in carcinogenesis.