Specifically, IL-8 was shown to be a potent proangiogenic factor associated with increased microvessel count, increased VEGF expression and poor prognosis in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, colonic cancer cells and pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells (Mizukami et al, 2005; Ren et al, 2005; Trevino et al, 2005). The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is colonic neoplasm.