The IVS1–7:C → T variant lies within a GC box that binds the transcriptional repressor protein methyl CpG binding protein-2 (Lapchak et al, 2004), and was found to be associated with higher levels of VEGF mRNA in colorectal cancer (Yamamori et al, 2004), increasing the risk of liver metastasis and worsening its prognosis. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and colorectal cancer.