BAX and colorectal cancer: Because of inconclusive research data, we have focused on the mRNA expression levels of five genes involved in the induction of autophagy: BECN1, UVRAG, ULK1, ATG13 and Bif-1 and two genes involved in apoptosis: the antiapoptotic BCL2 and the proapoptotic BAX. These expression levels were observed in both colorectal cancer cells and paired relatively normal, adjacent tissue.