HGF and neoplasm: CAFs can greatly impact the progression of HNSCC as they can produce a wide range of growth factors (e.g., hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)), cytokines (such as IL-6), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and chemokines which can drive tumor cell growth, angiogenesis and immune suppression [68,69].