2021). However, there is robust evidence that the severity of the COVID-19 disease – namely the level of lung damage – can be monitored via the detection of inflammatory markers in the serum, i.e. IL-6, CRP, procalcitonin and TNF-α represent the most reliable markers of the disease progression (Parimoo et al. 2021; Mardani et al. 2022). IL-6 has broad systemic effects and alters the metabolism, including age/cancer-related muscle wasting and cachexia (Pettersen et al. 2017). The gene discussed is TNF; the disease is cancer.