Zheng et al (2000) reported previously that a partial methylation pattern was associated with relatively low levels of p14ARF in colorectal cancer cell lines. p14ARF mRNA was expressed at extremely low levels in fully methylated cell lines, and p14ARF expression in the partial methylated LoVo cell line was intermediate. Moreover, partial methylation of p14ARF was the most common pattern observed in primary colorectal cancers. Taken together, these findings suggest that the level of CDH13 gene expression might also be controlled by methylation in primary cancers. The gene discussed is CDH13; the disease is colorectal cancer.