Mounting evidence shows that HCC is a stepwise process, as HCC is a heterogeneous disease driven by the serial accumulation of mutations in tumor suppressor genes (such as TP53, PTEN, and RB) and proto-oncogenes (such as MYC, MET, BRAF, and RAS)(Zhang et al., 2020). The gene discussed is PTEN; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.