In cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) defects in Fas-mediated apoptosis have been suggested to be involved in disease pathogenesis. Decreased or absent Fas expression has been reported in a significant proportion of CTCL patients, but the molecular mechanisms of such impaired Fas expression have hardly been investigated to date. In this issue, Jones et al. show that defective Fas expression is attributable to positional methylation of the Fas gene.