Previously, PTCH1 mRNA expression in ERMS patients was shown to predict poor outcome.4 Although PTCH1 mRNA expression correlates significantly with that of GLI1 mRNA (data not shown and Zibat et al.4), PTCH1 provides negative feedback cues into the pathway that could obscure the final outcome on cellular self-renewal. This evidence concerns the gene GLI1 and embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma.