IL6 and prostate cancer: In a previous study of prostate cancer, differential activation of the ERK and PI3K/Akt pathways resulted in differential secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and vascular endothelial cell growth factor, which affected the ability of the cancer cells to induce angiogenesis (15).