To evaluate the possible associations of the three recurrent PTEN promoter variants detected in the patient samples (-903GA, -975GC, and -1026CA) with the tumor phenotype, we calculated the correlations between the PTEN promoter variant status and tumor characteristics (tumor size, lymph node and distant metastasis at diagnosis, tumor histology, grade, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, HER2 over-expression, p53 status, and Ki67 proliferation marker expression) (Additional file 1). The gene discussed is PTEN; the disease is neoplasm.