Moreover, TGF-β signalling and/or hypoxia have also been reported to drive epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in many cancers contributing to cancer progression (reviewed in refs. [2, 3]), including thyroid cancers were EMT makers have been found to be overexpressed in more aggressive and metastatic thyroid tumours in vivo and in vitro [4–8]. This evidence concerns the gene TGFB1 and cancer.