A small phase II trial of neo-adjuvant carboplatin–gemcitabine chemotherapy with thalidomide in 15 patients with stage IIB–IIIA NSCLC showed that a higher baseline IL-8 was associated with a significantly greater risk of disease recurrence post-operatively, although an increase in IL-8 after treatment was associated with a reduced risk of recurrence (Dudek et al, 2009). The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.