Patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis usually have elevated levels of IL-6, and the sustained high expression of this pro-inflammatory cytokine not only promotes the local inflammatory response in the thyroid gland but also may promote the occurrence and progression of tumors by activating the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway [27], which is consistent with the preoperative laboratory findings of this patient with elevated IL-6 (12.28 pg/mL, reference value ≤ 5.30 pg/mL). This evidence concerns the gene STAT3 and Hashimoto thyroiditis.