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Bcl-2 and TGF-beta receptors type II (RII) in colon carcinomas were studied in a series of 113 patients, to determine their prognostic significance and to correlate their expression with other prognostic indicators. Bcl-2 expression in the tumor cells showed a reverse relation with tumor size (P = 0.018), histological grade (P = 0.04), and stage (P = 0.013). Univariate survival analysis using the log rank test showed that the survival of patients with bcl-2-positive tumors was significantly better than the survival of patients with bcl-2-negative tumors (P = 0.02). However, when entered into a multivariate analysis model, it was not found to be of independent prognostic significance. TGF-beta RII expression was correlated with stage (P = 0.03), while no statistically significant correlation was found between TGF-beta RII expression and histological grade or survival. In conclusion, these results provide additional evidence for the role of bcl-2 and TGF-beta RII in carcinogenesis of the colon, while they do not support the use of these factors as prognostic markers in patients with colon cancer.