To date, most studies have focused on MCM2 expression, for example, in oral squamous cell carcinomas (Kodani et al, 2003), prostate cancer (Meng et al, 2001; Padmanabhan et al, 2004) and ovarian serous neoplasms (Scott et al, 2004) chondrosarcoma (Helfenstein et al, 2004), oligodendroglial tumours (Wharton et al, 2001, 2004), oesophageal neoplasm (Going et al, 2002), renal cell carcinoma (Dudderidge et al, 2005), breast cancer (Gonzalez et al, 2004), endometrial carcinoma (Li et al, 2005) and thyroid carcinoma (Guida et al, 2005). The gene discussed is MCM2; the disease is ovarian serous tumor.