In comparison with the associations from APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B was specifically associated with APOBEC-mutational signature in stomach, pancreas and kidney cancers, with a P = 5.2 × 10− 11, P = 2.0 × 10− 3, and P = 1.1 × 10− 4, respectively (Additional file 1: Table S1). This evidence concerns the gene APOBEC3A and kidney cancer.