A prospective cohort by Florescu et al. delineated progressive stage-dependent escalation in circulating concentrations of IL-1–related, IL-6–related, and TNF-associated proteins in CRC, with IL-6 exhibiting the steepest trajectory [207], findings corroborated by a meta-analysis identifying IL-6 signalling as a prognostic correlate of augmented tumour burden and diminished survival [208]. The gene discussed is IL1B; the disease is neoplasm.