STAT3 and hepatocellular carcinoma: IL-6 is up-regulated in a variety of tumors, and exerts both pro- and anti-inflammatory functions in the immune microenvironment, depending on the cell type and at different stages (36, 37).Inhibition of IL-6 and STAT3 signaling pathways accelerates tumor development in mice with hepatocellular carcinoma in preclinical studies in hepatocellular carcinoma.