Macrophage inflammatory protein-3 (MIP-3α), also known as CCL20, has been linked to the propagation of several malignancies, including prostate, hepatic and pancreatic carcinomas, raising the possibility that MIP-3α plays a role in lung carcinogenesis (8), thereby affecting the prognosis of lung cancer. The gene discussed is CCL20; the disease is exocrine pancreatic carcinoma.