In a subset of mice, the tongue was also examined histologically and not surprisingly, the tongue of IL-1β mice showed mild to moderate inflammation epithelial erosions, keratin loss, squamous epithelial hyperplasia, dysplasia and progression to squamous cell carcinoma by 12 months of age (Figs. 1H, and 2G,H) compared to normal epithelium in wild type litter mates (not shown). This evidence concerns the gene IL1B and squamous cell carcinoma.