Chemokine networks play important roles in the development and metastasis of various malignancies including GC, in which chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and its chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12) are two key factors in the cross‐talking between tumor cells and their microenvironment 11, 12. The gene discussed is CXCL12; the disease is gastric cancer.