Along similar lines, reduced expression of beclin 1 (BECN1), a key component of the molecular machinery for autophagy, has been associated with poor prognosis in two independent cohorts of 1067 and 1992 breast carcinoma patients (147), but with improved disease outcome in a cohort of 73 patients with pancreatic cancer (149). The gene discussed is BECN1; the disease is breast carcinoma.