HGF and colorectal carcinoma: HGF/c-Met signaling pathway promotes metastasis of cancer cells by regulating a diverse downstream prometastatic effector molecules, then overactivated phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling (Fig. 4).123–125 Met, a receptor of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), has a positive correlation with tumor stages of CRC liver metastasis.