We previously showed that administration of exogenous SPARC, in combination with chemotherapy, to be highly efficacious in achieving tumour regression in animal xenografts (Tai et al, 2005), and our current observations lead us to believe that the use of a demethylating agent that restores SPARC expression can also be an effective adjunct to chemotherapy in colorectal cancer, and possibly other tumours with SPARC promoter hypermethylation. The gene discussed is SPARC; the disease is colorectal cancer.