The most common across cytokines was the ‘Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction’ pathway, while most of these cytokines were involved in known cancer-related pathways, such as the ‘MAPK’ (MCSF; VEGF), the ‘NF-kappa B’ (GROa; sICAM), the ‘PI3K-Akt’ (MCSF; VEGF), the ‘Ras’ (MCSF; VEGF), the ‘HIF-1’ (VEGF) and the ‘Toll-like receptor’ (MIG) signalling pathways among others (Additional file 2: Table S9). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL9 and cancer.