HGF and renal cell carcinoma: In a study population involving 344 RCC patients randomized to either pazopanib or placebo in a phase III trial, serum concentrations at baseline of IL-8, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), IL-6 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 were associated with a worse prognosis independently on the treatment arm, with some findings suggesting that baseline cytokine levels may be associated with a distinct sensitivity to pazopanib (53).