BAX and rectal cancer: Several markers have been proposed as predictors of the radio- and chemosensitivity of rectal cancers, including Bcl-2, Bax, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cyclooxygenase 2 (COX 2), microsatellite instability (MIS), mismatch repair (MMR) genes, Ku-70, Ki-67, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), apoptotic rate, proliferative index, and global gene expression [5,17].