The present observations show that the HNSCC patient cytokine and cytokine receptor levels likely reflect separate aspects of the cancer-associated systemic acute-phase cytokine response, with one dimension associated with the cytokines IL-6, IL-31, and IL-1RA, whereas another dimension is associated with the soluble receptors IL-6Rα, gp130 levels, and IL-33Rα/ST2. The gene discussed is IL31; the disease is cancer.