STAT3 and cancer: While the majority of studies evaluating the prognostic value of STAT3 and/or pSTAT3 have pointed to its oncogenic effects, a few studies have reported contradictory observations, with the expression of STAT3/pSTAT3 found to be “paradoxically” associated with a better prognosis in various types of cancer, including those of the head and neck, salivary gland, breast, nasopharynx and rectum.