Prior studies have demonstrated that aberrant expression or mutation of SMAD4 significantly influences the advancement of diverse tumors, including hematopoietic malignancies and solid tumors such as acute myeloid leukemia (25), pancreatic cancer (26), hepatocellular carcinoma (27), head and neck carcinoma (28) and CRC (29). The gene discussed is SMAD4; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.