Our results indicate that (i) several sPLA2s, including sPLA2-IIA, sPLA2-X and sPLA2-XIIA, are highly expressed in both normal and tumour colon tissues; (ii) the expression levels of sPLA2-III, sPLA2-IID and sPLA2-V are dramatically altered in adenocarcinomas at both mRNA and protein levels; and (iii) their mRNA profiles are part of gene expression clusters with other genes associated with inflammation and cancer. Here, PLA2G2D is linked to adenocarcinoma.