These results are in line with data assessed in the subgroup of newly diagnosed patients (Supplementary Figure 4A,B), whereas there was a negative correlation between pSmad2 and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β2 (r=−0.67, p=0.039) or TGF-β3 (r=−0.67, p=0.039) and between pSmad1/5/8 and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β2 (r=−0.72, p=0.031) in the small subgroup of recurrent tumor patients (Supplementary Figure 4C, D). The gene discussed is TGFB2; the disease is neoplasm.