CXCL1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: As shown in Fig. 1b, the Groα level was higher (22.3-fold and 3.3-fold, respectively) in early-stage (cT2N0M0, patient no. 1) and late-stage (cT3N3bM0, patient no. 2) HNSCC than in NCMT tissues.