To demonstrate the potential of IL‐1α to trigger anti‐tumor immune activity, human PBMCs were co‐cultured with SCC152 HNSCC cells and treated with PBS and three doses (10, 50 and 100 ng/ml) of human recombinant IL‐1α (rIL‐1α) for 24 h. This evidence concerns the gene IL1A and neoplasm.