Consistent with our own data, Tyner et al (2009) reported an oncogenic phenotype associated with the K-Ras 146 mutation in leukaemia and Loupakis et al (2009) have recently reported that a patient with metastatic colorectal cancer with a K-Ras 146 mutation was resistant to cetuximab. Here, KRAS is linked to metastatic colorectal cancer.