The association between HIF-2α and prognosis in colon cancer is consistent with previously published reports in two series of colorectal cancers (Yoshimura et al, 2004; Cleven et al, 2007), although our paper is the first to report the effect of HIF-2α in a large series of large intestinal cancers that have not received radiotherapy. Here, EPAS1 is linked to colorectal cancer.