IL6 and cancer: Through integrative analyses in this study, we uncovered the new roles of EGR1 and HOXB9 in regulating other important angiogenic factors, including CXCL1, EFNA, IL6 and IL1β. Importantly, EGR1 and HOXB9 have both been shown to correlate with poor patient survival in multiple cancer types42, 43, 44, 45, 46.