CASP3 and neoplasm: To underline the importance of stromal apoptosis to the clinical outcome of the CRC patients, we divided our patient population in four groups based on median tumour M30 antigen and median tumour caspase-3 activity levels: (1) low caspase-3/M30 low (n=67), (2) low caspase-3/M30 high (n=39), (3) caspase-3 high/M30 high (n=68) and (4) caspase-3 high/M30 low (n=37).