Given that various inflammatory mediators(tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6) and their receptors control cell motility, invasiveness and survival, it seems reasonable that SIRS induced by anastomotic failure may promote proliferation and metastasis in circulating cancer cells and those present in the tumor bed [14], [19], [20], [21]. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is cancer.