TP53 and colorectal adenoma: In contrast to other studies that reported p53- and other molecular players-mediated miR-34a down-regulation in CRC tissue/plasma samples15,22–27, our finding was in line with that of Aherne and colleagues, who found a significant increase of miR-34a tissue expression in early-stage CRC samples compared to non-malignant ones and in colorectal adenomas relative to polyp and normal tissues28.