BIRC5 and neoplasm: Survivin activity seems to be mediated by the inhibition of caspase pathways and also interaction with the microtubules of the mitotic spindle during the G2/M phase of cell cycle (Deveraux and Reed, 1999; Li, 2003), which suggest that survivin could promote tumour growth by dual functions, that is, inhibition of apoptosis and induction of mitogenesis.