The Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Cancer issued an Editorial Expression of Concern on 22 October 2026 regarding a 2012 paper that reported ligand-independent activation of EphA2 by arachidonic acid in prostate cancer cells. The notice states that concerns were raised about apparent similarities between the Src panels of Figures 2A and 4G and between sections of the FAK panels in those same figures. The journal identified the specific figure panels as the focal point of the concern rather than broader experimental design or textual issues. Readers should treat those image data with caution while the record remains flagged.
The authors told the publisher that original, underlying data are no longer available because of the age of the article. The Editorial Expression of Concern explicitly reports that the original data cannot be produced for independent verification. The absence of raw images or source files prevents the publisher and readers from confirming whether the noted panel similarities reflect inadvertent duplication, figure assembly error, or another explanation. No alternative primary datasets or replacements are detailed in the notice.
The publisher attempted to contact the paper’s authors. M D Brown and N W Clarke did not respond to correspondence from the publisher about this Editorial Expression of Concern. The publisher was unable to contact T Tawadros and C A Hart. The notice therefore records incomplete author engagement: some named authors were nonresponsive and others could not be reached. The expression of concern lists the author names and affiliations as provided in the original article but does not include any author-supplied remedial material or corrected figures.
The notice focuses narrowly on image-panel concerns. It does not allege fabrication or provide an adjudication of scientific misconduct; rather, it flags specific figure panels and recommends that readers interpret the identified data with caution. The journal did not, in this notice, issue a retraction, correction, or replacement figures. The expression of concern serves as a formal alert in the literature while further investigation or author responses remain absent or incomplete.
The 2012 article under discussion—titled "Ligand-independent activation of EphA2 by arachidonic acid induces metastasis-like behaviour in prostate cancer cells"—is cited in the notice and remains part of the published record. The expression of concern references the original DOI and provides author and affiliation details as they appeared in the 2012 publication. The Editorial Expression of Concern itself carries a 2026 DOI and the journal’s notice links the two records so that readers consulting the original article will see the flag.
The notice lists explicit limitations: the alleged similarities are confined to specific figure panels; the original data are unavailable; and several authors did not respond or could not be contacted. The Editorial Expression of Concern therefore leaves several questions open. It does not report any further internal review findings, nor does it present corrected data or state next procedural steps beyond advising caution. The publisher has not documented retraction, correction, or institutional investigation outcomes in this notice.
Readers and researchers citing or building on the 2012 report should account for the flagged image issues and the absence of verifiable underlying data. The journal’s notice stops short of definitive corrective action because the source data cannot be provided and author engagement was incomplete. Specific unanswered questions that remain in the public record include whether the figure similarities reflect honest error or intentional manipulation, whether primary data could be recovered from any co-authors or institutions, and whether an institutional inquiry has been initiated—none of which are addressed in the notice. The expression of concern functions as a formal cautionary label in the literature until further verifiable information becomes available.