Cytokines (such as IL6, IL8 and CCL2) and their signaling pathways have been demonstrated to have important roles in breast cancer initiation, migration, invasion and disease progression.16, 17, 18 However, it remains unclear whether breast cancer cells are capable of producing large amount of cytokines acting as autocrine factors to self-propel the development of drug resistance and CSCs after chemotherapy withdrawal. The gene discussed is CXCL8; the disease is breast cancer.