Pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest human malignancies, is almost invariably associated with the presence of an oncogenic form of Kras. Mice expressing oncogenic Kras in the pancreas recapitulate the step-wise progression of the human disease. The inflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL6) is often expressed by multiple cell types within the tumor microenvironment. Here, we show that IL6 is required for the maintenance and progression of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions. In fact, the lack of IL6 completely ablates cancer progression even in presence of oncogenic Kras. Mechanistically, we show that IL6 synergizes with oncogenic Kras to activate the reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification program downstream of the MAPK/ERK signaling cascade. In addition, IL6 regulates the inflammatory microenvironment of pancreatic cancer throughout its progression, providing several signals that are essential for carcinogenesis. Thus, IL6 emerges as a key player at all stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis, and a potential therapeutic target.