Theodoropoulos et al (2006) showed a significant association between HIF-1α and lymph node metastasis, low rectal location and advanced tumour grade. Although HIF-1α expression, infiltrative tumour growth pattern, positive lymph node status and VEGF upregulation were associated with decreased disease-free and overall survival, multivariate analysis only revealed high HIF-1α reactivity and lymph node positivity as predictors of poor outcome. Here, VEGFA is linked to neoplasm.