Fig. 1

Graphical representation of the approach followed to assess the overlap of gene-expression markers identified in the prediagnostic study with gene-expression markers identified in the clinical study. Based on the overlap between the prediagnostic study and clinical studies, four main categories were defined: consistently upregulated (++), consistently downregulated (−−), dissimilar (+−, +o, −o, o-, o+, −+), or consistently non-significant (oo). The first and second symbols relate to clinical and prediagnostic data respectively, and ‘+’ indicates a positive association, ‘-’ an inverse association, and ‘o’ a non-significant association. A gene was considered differentially expressed in both sections (‘++’ or ‘--’) if it reached Bonferroni-corrected 5% statistical significance in at least one of the two types of studies, and reached nominal 0.05 significance in the other study type. Any gene not reaching Bonferroni 5% statistical significance in either type of study is considered as a null finding (‘oo’)