STAT1 and cancer: It is therefore plausible that given the well-known essential role of STAT1 in the responses against infections and cancer, the function of the STAT1 signaling pathway is subject to rapid restoration because its regulators, including small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO), protein inhibitor of activated STAT (PIAS), and suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins are selectively reprogrammed by the profound immunological/inflammatory pressure caused by HCV and are epigenetic targets when the inflammatory trigger ceases.