diff --git a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/scripts/GeneticAlterationIncrementalImporter.java b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/scripts/GeneticAlterationIncrementalImporter.java
index 2e1117a4..755ae0ee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/scripts/GeneticAlterationIncrementalImporter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/scripts/GeneticAlterationIncrementalImporter.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public GeneticAlterationIncrementalImporter(
             if (sampleToValue.size() != initialOrderSampleListSize) {
                 throw new IllegalStateException("Number of samples ("
                         + sampleToValue.size() + ") for genetic entity with id "
-                        + geneticEntityId + " does not match with the number in the inital sample list ("
+                        + geneticEntityId + " does not match with the number in the preexisting sample list ("
                         + initialOrderSampleListSize + ").");
             }
         });