STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: IL-6 plays a role in primary tumor progression associated with MEK/ERK and JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways and its exact role in cell behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma and effect on the anti-cancer therapy such as sorafenib and IFN-α treatments was still not well elucidated; The present study shows that IL-6 has different effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion in HCCLM3, as well as in cytokines and related cell signaling pathway secretions and sorafenib and IFN-α treatments.