Carcinogenesis in cSCC may be associated with a number of cellular modifications that facilitate immune escape including aberrant HLA expression, downregulation of important chemokines associated with T-cell homing and production of other cytokines such as IL-6, a cytokine having a myriad of functions including promoting angiogenesis, tumor cell growth and an overall proinflammatory and pro-tumorigenic response. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is skin squamous cell carcinoma.