Genes associated with the most common VELs included novel genes and several known oncogenes and tumour suppressors implicated in CRC as well as other forms of cancer, including MYC10, 16, BMP4 (refs 17, 18), PHLDA1 (refs 19, 20, 21, 22), SOX9 (refs 23, 24, 25) and TRIB3 (refs 26, 27). This evidence concerns the gene PHLDA1 and cancer.