Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies with a rising incidence, and is characterized by rapid progression, frequent metastasis, late diagnosis, high postoperative recurrence and poor prognosis. Therefore, novel treatment strategies for HCC, particularly advanced HCC, are urgently required. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c‑mesenchymal‑epithelial transition receptor (c‑MET) axis is a key signaling pathway in HCC and is strongly associated with its highly malignant features. Available treatments based on HGF/c‑MET inhibition may prolong the lifespan of patients with HCC; however, they do not achieve the desired therapeutic effects. The aim of the present article was to review the basic knowledge regarding the role of the HGF/c‑MET signaling pathway in HCC, and examine the association between the HGF/c‑MET signaling pathway and the tumorigenesis, progression and prognosis of HCC.

中文翻译：

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HGF/c-MET 信号通路与肝细胞癌的肿瘤发生、进展和预后之间的关联（综述）。

肝细胞癌（HCC）是最具侵袭性和致死性的恶性肿瘤之一，发病率不断上升，具有进展快、转移频繁、诊断晚、术后复发率高和预后差等特点。因此，迫切需要新的 HCC 治疗策略，尤其是晚期 HCC。肝细胞生长因子 (HGF)/c-间充质上皮转化受体 (c-MET) 轴是 HCC 的关键信号通路，并与其高度恶性特征密切相关。基于 HGF/c-MET 抑制的现有治疗可能会延长 HCC 患者的寿命；然而，它们没有达到预期的治疗效果。本文的目的是回顾有关 HGF/c-MET 信号通路在 HCC 中作用的基础知识，