In a study of OSCCs associated with betel and/or tobacco use (Chang et al, 2002), 28% of samples exhibited FHIT promoter methylation, and 36% of cancers and 50% of premalignant lesions showed aberrant RT–PCR products, suggesting that FHIT aberration could be an early event in oral carcinogenesis. The gene discussed is FHIT; the disease is cancer.