These important promoters of tumour angiogenesis include VEGF (Takahashi et al, 1994), bFGF (Fujimoto et al, 1995), urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its soluble receptor (Xu et al, 1997), E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) (Banks et al, 1993), and von Willebrand's factor (vWF) (Gadducci et al, 1994). The gene discussed is VCAM1; the disease is neoplasm.