To validate our findings, we recruited a cohort of 21 cancer patients for histological confirmation, revealing significant mRNA upregulation of STAT3, IL6, MMP9, MMP3, TGFB1, VEGF and HIF1A, coupled with downregulation of LHPP and PCK1, PTEN and BLC2 (Fig. 4E). Here, VEGFA is linked to cancer.