Recent studies have shown that, during caspase-mediated non-apoptotic cell death, the expression of autophagy-related genes, such as ATG5, ATG7 and Beclin-1, is upregulated.11, 12 This type of cell death is defined as type II programmed cell death, or autophagic cell death, and deregulation of this process can lead to changes in cell homeostasis, resulting in tumorigenesis.13 Therefore, it is essential to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms of autophagy in ovarian cancer, which may be helpful for early detection, diagnosis and treatment. The gene discussed is ATG7; the disease is ovarian carcinoma.