However, accumulating evidence indicates potential functions for survivin in normal tissues, indicating that survivin expression is not cancer specific.13 Interestingly, survivin expression is upregulated by adipokines such as leptin, suggesting that the molecular effects of adiposity on carcinogenesis might be mediated by suppression of apoptosis through survivin-dependent mechanisms.14, 15 Moreover, it has been demonstrated that survivin is regulated by cytokines in lymphocytes and plays an important role in proliferation and survival of hematopoietic cells.16 Here, BIRC5 is linked to cancer.