STAT3 and cancer: Previously, studies have shown that the mechanism by which leptin promotes the survival of cancer cells is through the activation of multiple signaling pathways, such as those involving mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Janus kinase 2-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (JAK2-STAT3) and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AKT) [42, 43].