In HBV-associated HCC, driver mutations were detected in several genes related to the cell-cycle pathway (TP53, ATM, RB1, CDKN2A), Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway (CTNNB1, AXIN1, APC), telomere maintenance (TERT), epigenetic modification (ARID1A, 1B, and ARID2), oxidative stress (KEAP1, NFE2L2), PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, Ras/Raf/MAP pathway, and JAK/STAT pathways (Fujimoto et al., 2012; Guichard et al., 2012; Kan et al., 2013; Nault et al., 2014; Kawai-Kitahata et al., 2016). Here, TERT is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.