The importance of cytokines (eg, interleukin IL-6, IL-1β, IL-10, and tumour necrosis factor-α) and the role of cross talk between myeloma cells and the bone marrow microenvironment in the proliferation, apoptosis and migration of myeloma cells and patient survival is becoming clearer (Chauhan et al, 1996; Gupta et al, 2001). This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and plasma cell myeloma.