Compared with the mice bearing HCA-1/Vec tumors, the mean plasma level of RNase1 was substantially higher in mice bearing HCA-1/R1 tumors (0.52 μg/ml) (Fig. 2a); this level was similar to the level found in the HCC patients described above (0.61 μg/ml) (Fig. 1g). Here, RNASE1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.