When procaspase‐8 and FLIP(L) are at a 1:1 ratio (Fig 6A scenario i and EV5E(iii)), although initial inter‐dimer cleavage is rapid, full procaspase‐8 processing is significantly inhibited as the number of procaspase‐8 homodimers will be low; this will be the scenario when there are low levels of receptor ligation and/or when FLIP expression is elevated (as in many cancers). This evidence concerns the gene CFLAR and cancer.