In this case, the gemcitabine and radiation-induced DNA damage is likely to be repaired by the RECQL1-mediated pathway; patients with the AA genotype with A159C polymorphism showed a significantly longer survival time than those with the CC genotype, suggesting that cancer cell species having the AA genotype are sensitive to DNA damage stress, perhaps due to a reduced expression of RECQL1 helicase. This evidence concerns the gene RECQL and cancer.