The apoptotic pathway contains 10 core genes (BAX, TP53, TP53INP1, CDKN2A, TP53BP1, CDKN1A, MDM2, CDKN1B, CCDN1 and BCL2), and these genes take part in the control of critical processes involved in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (Yu et al., 2015). This evidence concerns the gene CDKN1A and hepatocellular carcinoma.