High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is acknowledged as a proinflammatory cytokine that creates a chronic inflammation microenvironment, contributing to the development of inflammation-associated cancers, including epithelial malignancies (Kang et al., 2014; Lee et al., 2012; Nguyen et al., 2016; Paek et al., 2016; Wild et al., 2012; Wu et al., 2016). Here, HMGB1 is linked to cancer.