Other authors have reported on the overexpression of TGF-β in various cancer types by immunohistochemistry, Northern blot analysis and/or in situ hybridisation (Samuels et al, 1989; Yoshida et al, 1989; Barrett-Lee et al, 1990; Gorsch et al, 1992; Walker and Dearing, 1992; Mahara et al, 1994), although none of these methods were quantitative. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is cancer.