In hepatic stellate cells, the Fn14 ligand TWEAK has been shown to upregulate both transcription and secretion of inflammatory cytokines, including IL‐6.41 This suggests that TWEAK and activin A may both work in a paracrine or autocrine manner in the tumours to stimulate IL‐6 secretion from cancer cells and facilitate the development of cachexia. This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and neoplasm.