STAT3 and neoplasm: Abnormal inflammation, including aberrant production of pro-inflammatory mediators and increased expression of oncogenes, matrix metalloproteinases, and pro-inflammatory transcription factors such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), activating protein-1 (AP-1), and hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) can activate genes mediating tumor cell proliferation, survival, invasion, and angiogenesis (19).