Many cancers show aberrant signalling via the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis, activating type 1 IGF receptors (IGF-1Rs) and variant insulin receptors (INSRs) to signal via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–AKT–mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K-AKT-mTOR) and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase–extracellular signal-regulated kinases (MEK-ERK) [1]. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and cancer.