It has been previously shown that, in patients undergoing potentially curative surgery for colorectal and pancreatic cancer, approximately one-third and one-half respectively, of patients had elevated circulating concentration of C-reactive protein preoperatively and that these patients had a significantly lower cancer-specific survival (McMillan et al, 2003; Jamieson et al, 2005). The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.