Previous studies have implicated the role of the IL‐1 signaling pathway in mediating cellular senescence in irradiated inflammatory fibroblasts in rectal cancer.[24] Moreover, IL‐1β, a key component of the IL‐1 signaling pathway, has been shown to promote the EMT.[25] Therefore, we tested the effect of the IL1R1 inhibitor, anakinra, in killing malignant cells with or without radiation both in vitro and in vivo. This evidence concerns the gene IL1R1 and rectal cancer.