Alternations in other pathways involving angiogenesis (VEGF signaling), cell death (apoptosis signaling), immune mediated destruction (T cell activity), sustained proliferative signaling (insulin-like growth factor, Ras and platelet-derived growth factor), tumor promoting inflammation (chemokine and cytokine signaling), as well as invasion and metastasis (integrin signaling), all of which are down-regulated by SCFAs, are hallmarks of cancer that may underlie the delay in the multiple steps that ultimately result in the development of HCC. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and neoplasm.