In two cohorts of radiotherapy patients, we found that patients whose tumours expressed low levels of the DNA damage signalling protein, MRE11, as measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC), had a significantly worse survival rate following radiotherapy than those expressing high levels of MRE11 (43% versus 70% 3-year cause-specific survival) [2]. The gene discussed is MRE11; the disease is neoplasm.