Progressive overexpression of MYC in the oesophageal metaplasia-dysplasia-adenocarcinoma sequence has been observed previously (Tselepis et al, 2003; Schmidt et al, 2007); prior to this study however, the expression of other members of the MYC/MAX/MAD network had not been studied in any detail in the oesophagus. The gene discussed is MXD1; the disease is dysplasia.