STAT3 and neoplasm: Chronic inflammation is an important intrinsic factor that promotes carcinogenesis by inducing DNA damage, producing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, regulating intestinal epithelial cell (IEC) polarization and the tumor microenvironment, activating transcriptional programs such as nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and STAT3 in IEC, and impeding anti-tumor immunity (17).