IL6 and cancer: IL6, a typical pleiotropic cytokine, has been proven to accelerate tumorigenesis and tumor progression in various cancers, either through direct effects on cancer cells (for instance, cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis) or via its extrinsic effects on the TME, such as modulation of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, which creates an immunosuppressive TME favorable for tumor growth and metastasis 23.