While chronically increased IL-6 is associated with insulin resistance, inflammation, adipose tissue lipolysis, and muscle wasting in diseases from cancer and obesity to sepsis and burn injury (Kraakman et al., 2015; Pedroso et al., 2012; van Hall, 2012), acute expression of IL-6 promotes liver regeneration after injury (Jin et al., 2006; Koniaris et al., 2003) and is required for muscle regeneration, exercise-induced hypertrophy, and recovery from disuse atrophy (Begue et al., 2013; McKay et al., 2009; Washington et al., 2011). This evidence concerns the gene IL6 and cancer.