IL-1β, a typical cancer-inflammation linked cytokine, is reportedly up-regulated in several types of tumors, including breast, colon, lung and esophageal cancers, and it was also shown to be increased in saliva and tissue from oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and cancer.