ADIPOQ and neoplasm: Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) have been demonstrated to promote breast cancer progression (68–70), as they function as an active endocrine tissue to release adipokines (e.g., IL-6, TNFα, leptin, and adiponectin) that can suppress an active immune response (71) and play critical roles in tumor cell proliferation, as well as matrix metalloproteinases that are important for tumor invasiveness (72).