5-fluorouracil-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimens increased CXCL7 and CXCR2 gene expression in patients with CRC developing liver metastases, thus suggesting that neoadjuvant chemotherapy may have a role in promoting the spread of CRC cells in vivo through the CXCL7/CXCR2 axis (Desurmont et al., 2015). Here, PPBP is linked to colorectal carcinoma.