Liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide because of the high rate of metastasis.1 High hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) levels in serum or overexpression of Met in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are closely associated with early recurrence,2 and patients with high expression levels of Met usually have low 5-year survival rates after curative surgical resection.2–5 Upon activation, the tyrosine residues Y1234 and Y1235 in the kinase domain of Met are phosphorylated, which leads to auto-phosphorylation of the C-terminal multi-substrate docking site, Y1349, and Y1356. The gene discussed is HGF; the disease is cancer.