STEAP2 and hepatocellular carcinoma: However, analysis of tumor samples from the TGCA database revealed a strong correlation between STEAP2 expression and increasing tumor grade and a trend of improved survival in patients expressing lower levels of STEAP2. While STEAP2 alone is not a strong prognostic marker of HCC, its significant role in driving HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion suggests that it collaborates with other molecules and pathways to promote HCC malignancy.