When HNSCC patient were sorted into cohorts of different clinical stages (i.e. stage I, II, III, IVa, IVb, and IVc), we found that high expression of IL1A (Figure 8G) or IL1RAP (Figure 8H) was only significantly associated with poor survival in patients with stage IVa (i.e. moderately advanced) disease. This evidence concerns the gene IL1RAP and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.