Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log rank test were used to compare the survival curves for the 22 genes, and the results verified that high expression of only four (ETV4, ETV5, MLLT1, and IKZF3) of the 22 genes was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) in HCC (Fig. 1D). This evidence concerns the gene ETV5 and hepatocellular carcinoma.