On the basis of additional evidence showing anti-EGFR antibodies were unlikely to benefit patients with this disease whose tumours carry KRAS mutations (Amado et al, 2008; Karapetis et al, 2008), the phase III COIN trial evaluated the addition of cetuximab to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy (oxaliplatin plus capecitabine or oxaliplatin plus fluorouracil and folinic acid) in first-line treatment of patients with advanced CRC with KRAS wild-type tumours (Maughan et al, 2011). The gene discussed is KRAS; the disease is colorectal carcinoma.