STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: As a point of convergence for numerous oncogenic signaling pathways, STAT3 is widely involved in HCC progression, as which is constitutively activated in nearly 60% of HCC and associated with poor prognosis.32 Fairly well-characterized, persistently activated STAT3 promotes tumor cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis by upregulating downstream target gene expression.