IL6 and cancer: However, other plasmatic thrombopoietic cytokines such as Stem Cell Factor (SCF), Interleukin 1 alpha (IL-1α), Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha (TNF-α), stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1), and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) are increased in cancer patients, providing alternative pathways for thrombopoiesis that could be independent or complementary to the IL-6/TPO axis.