Though the inflammasome activation and IL-18 signaling pathways are largely beneficial in colitis-associated colorectal cancer (32, 36), it has been widely accepted that inflammasome can promote the development of many malignant tumors, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, fibrosarcoma, melanoma, gastric carcinoma and lung metastasis (9, 10, 12–14, 37). Here, IL18 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.