VEGFA and hepatocellular carcinoma: Viral elimination with DAA treatment has been postulated to often be accompanied by upregulated expression of immunoregulatory mediators and/or growth factors, particularly vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) [33, 37], in addition to certain changes in the immunological milieu, particularly the T-cell-mediated milieu, which might together favor HCC development as a result of reduced antitumor immune surveillance [38].