The tentative association explored between elevated C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A with ER- and progesterone receptor-negative cancers indirectly suggests further merit in pursuing a link between such inflammatory markers and p53. We recognise that our findings need to be confirmed in another population of breast cancer patients, ideally, one with data on inflammatory markers and the standard breast cancer data. The gene discussed is TP53; the disease is breast carcinoma.