Altered cellular metabolism, tumour acidosis, and aberrant glycosylation are all hallmarks of cancers and contribute to tumorigenesis and its progression by various means [1–4] Cancer-associated glycosylation changes most often include increased branching and/or fucosylation of N-linked glycans, synthesis of truncated mucin-type O-glycans, increased sialylation and decreased sulphation of glycosaminoglycans such as heparan sulphate [5]. The gene discussed is MUC5AC; the disease is cancer.