After annotation with GeneCards database, many of them were found to be involved in the pathways related to CRC (Fig. 1c, Supplementary Fig. 1 and Table S3): CTNNB1, APC, TP53, MTOR, PIK3CA and PTEN, etc. were enriched in Wnt signaling; KRAS, NRAS, PIK3CA, TP53, BRAF and CTNNB1, etc. in RAS signaling; SMAD4, CTNNB1, TP53, PIK3CA, KRAS and PTEN in TGF-beta signaling; TP53, PTEN, CTNNB1, PIK3CA, ATM and MTOR, etc. in p53 signaling; PIK3CA, PTEN, MTOR, TP53, CTNNB1 and PIK3R1, etc. in PI3K-Akt signaling; PIK3CA, BRAF, TP53, CTNNB1, MTOR and KRAS, etc. in MAPK signaling. The gene discussed is PIK3CA; the disease is colorectal carcinoma.