VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: Currently, treatments for unresectable (intermediate- and advanced-stage) HCC are designed to target the tumor vasculature including transarterial chemoembolization, small molecule kinase inhibitors (all of which inhibit key mediators of angiogenesis) and most recently, monoclonal antibodies directed against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or its receptor (2–4).