CXCL8 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Factors such as IL-8, transforming growth factor-β, and others are described as crucial molecules affecting various aspects of tumor progression.[8] IL-8 has been shown to influence the biology, such as proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis of different types of cancer, including HCC.[22,25,26,28] High circulating IL-8 levels are associated with increased tumor malignancy in HCC.