Cancer is the leading cancer in the world, causing more deaths than any other cancer type. In the UK, the incidence of cancer in men has been steadily decreasing, but in contrast it has been steadily increasing in women [1-3]. Worldwide, while rates have been declining in developed countries, rates have continued to rise in countries where smoking has peaked since the second half of the last century (including China, South Korea, and several countries in Africa) and will continue to rise in the coming decades [2,4]. Treatment options for cancer remain limited, and this is reflected in poor survival rates, which remain below 10% at 5 years and close to 5% at 10 years. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are still the main treatment options, although there are now new targeted therapies, namely anti-EGFR, etc. [3,5,6].

Recently, there have been early clinical reports that a Chinese herbal formula called YangZhengxiaoji (Yangzheng Xiaoji for sale) has a beneficial effect on cancer patients [7,8]. In a number of small trials, the combination chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival while reducing side effects. Similar beneficial effects have been reported in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma [9]. Although the originally proposed beneficial effects may be due to improved immune function, such as increased NK cell function, it has recently been reported that the direct inhibition of angiogenesis and migration of cancer cells, including osteosarcoma cells, can be attributed to the inhibitory effect on the activation of plaque kinase [10,11].

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a cytokine that has a strong effect on both normal and cancer cells [12,13]. In normal physiology, cytokines are involved in tissue regeneration and organ repair, such as liver and lung regeneration. However, in cancer, cytokines have been shown to have a profound effect on the migration, invasion, and growth of cancer cells and act as a powerful angiogenic and lymphangiogenic factor [14,15]. In most solid tumor types, HGF and its receptor, cMET, have been found to be overexpressed in cancer cells and tumor tissues. It has been shown to be associated with disease progression, metastasis, and long-term clinical outcomes in patients [15-17].