One of the transcriptional effectors involved in TGF-β/SMAD signaling is RUNX3. Its promoter has been found to be methylated in approximately 30% of CRCs (15) with high levels both in CRC tissues (17, 24) and in serum, where methylation levels increase with the advancement of pathological stage (25). The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is colorectal carcinoma.