We have previously demonstrated that tumour-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI), also called pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) and serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1), is a biomarker of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients, both as assessed in tumour tissue (t-TATI) [1] and in serum (s-TATI) [2], whereby the strongest independent prognostic value was seen for s-TATI [2]. This evidence concerns the gene SPINK1 and colorectal cancer.