Notably, the plasma Hex activity was significantly higher in nonsurviving CRC patients than both the CRC survivors (adjusted p = 0.0372, area-under-the-curve (AUC) = 0.581) and heathy controls (adjusted p < 0.0001, AUC = 0.685) as well as in CRC survivors compared with healthy controls (adjusted p = 0.016, AUC = 0.685) (Fig. 4E). This evidence concerns the gene HHEX and colorectal carcinoma.