Interferon‐alpha (IFNα) is a pleiotropic cytokine that can impair cancer growth by directly acting as cytostatic factor on transformed cells and by negatively or positively regulating pro‐tumorigenic and anti‐tumorigenic processes such as angiogenesis or immunity, respectively (Pfeffer et al, 1998; Gough et al, 2012). Here, IFNA1 is linked to cancer.