Inducing autophagy via the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and the upregulation of Beclin1, or enhancing autophagy in etoposide-treated HCC cells through decreasing Beclin1/Bcl-2 interaction, is a protective and pro-survival response that suppresses apoptosis in HCC cells. Here, AKT1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.