In these reports, no correlation between XIAP-expression levels and tumour stage, grade or survival was observed in patients with carcinomas of the cervix, non-small-cell lung carcinomas and advanced nonresectable non-small-cell lung carcinomas treated by chemotherapy alone (Liu et al, 2001; Ferreira et al, 2001a; Hofmann et al, 2002), whereas high XIAP-expression levels were associated with longer survival in patients with radically resected non-small-cell lung carcinomas (Ferreira et al, 2001b). The gene discussed is XIAP; the disease is neoplasm.