Smad4 is a member of the Smad family of signal transducers and acts as a central mediator of transforming growth factor (TGF) β signalling pathways.10 The role of the TGFβ pathway as a tumour promoter or suppressor at the cancer cell level is still a matter of debate, owing to its differential effects at the early and late stages of carcinogenesis. Here, TGFB1 is linked to neoplasm.