While IL-8 mRNA was undetectable in normal tissues (Fig. 1a and Table 1), IL-8 mRNA was either co-expressed with CK indicating direct expression in cancer cells (scored as CKPOSIL-8POS in Table 1; 42% of cases) or detected in CK negative cells (scored as CKNEGIL-8POS in Table 1; 46.4% of cases) in the HNSCC tissues evaluated (Fig. 1c-d and Table 1). This evidence concerns the gene CXCL8 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.