A chimeric transcript of ∼1.8 kb was detected by northern blotting using EWS and Oct-4 probes, and an EWS-Oct-4 fusion transcript, but not the reciprocal Oct-4-EWS fusion transcript, was detected in tumours by RT–PCR (Yamaguchi et al, 2005). The gene discussed is EWSR1; the disease is neoplasm.