Nordihydroguaiaretic acid had no inhibitory effect on growth and survival signals such as tyrosine phosphorylation of the epidermal growth factor receptor or basal and growth factor-stimulated activities of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2, p70s6k and AKT but selectively inhibited expression of cyclin D1 in the cancer cells. This evidence concerns the gene MAPK3 and cancer.