FQI1 inhibits the DNA-binding activity of LSF, a ubiquitous transcription factor that is up regulated in many hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). FQI1 inhibits LSF-dependent luciferase reporter expression, blocks proliferation in cancer cell lines, and induces apoptosis in liver cancer cells but is not toxic to primary hepatocytes. FQI1 also inhibits tumor growth in a mouse HCC xenograft model.