Objective To study the effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and receptor c-met on the development of primary breast carcinoma, and the relationship between it and prognosis. Methods The study of HGF and c-met related to breast carcinoma was reviewed by history document and experimental study in recent years. Results HGF is a growth factor which has mitogenic, migrating, invasive and angiogenic activities in breast carcinoma cells. The carcinogenic mechanism of breast carcinoma was more clear with the discovery of the relationship between HGF and its receptor c-met. Conclusion The HGF/c-met plays an important role in the generation and progress of breast carcinoma. Studying the effects of HGF/cmet on breast carcinoma is significant in guiding clinical treatment.