To address this, the relative expression of our candidate genes was interrogated in the leukocyte (CD45+), stromal cell (CD31+) and epithelial cell (EpCAM+) fractions isolated from the tumours of 6 patients with CRC (GSE39397 (39); as well as against cultured, normal colon mucosa-derived fibroblasts (CCD-Co-18). This evidence concerns the gene EPCAM and neoplasm.