diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoCancerStudy.java b/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoCancerStudy.java
index 45d1e57c050..4c13e621311 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoCancerStudy.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoCancerStudy.java
@@ -575,7 +575,10 @@ public static void deleteCancerStudy(int internalCancerStudyId) throws DaoExcept
         ResultSet rs = null;
         try {
             con = JdbcUtil.getDbConnection(DaoCancerStudy.class);
-            deleteGenericAssayMeta(internalCancerStudyId);
+            // check whether should delete generic assay meta
+            if (DaoGenericAssay.geneticEntitiesOnlyExistInSingleStudy(internalCancerStudyId)) {
+                deleteGenericAssayMeta(internalCancerStudyId);
+            }
             for (String statementString : deleteStudyStatements) {
                 pstmt = con.prepareStatement(statementString);
                 if (statementString.contains("?")) {
@@ -635,15 +638,13 @@ public static void deleteGenericAssayMeta(int internalCancerStudyId) throws DaoE
         ResultSet rs = null;
         try {
             con = JdbcUtil.getDbConnection(DaoCancerStudy.class);
-            if (DaoGenericAssay.shouldGenericAssayMetaBeDeleted(internalCancerStudyId)) {
-                for (String statementString : deleteGenericAssayStatements) {
-                    pstmt = con.prepareStatement(statementString);
-                    if (statementString.contains("?")) {
-                        pstmt.setInt(1, internalCancerStudyId);
-                    }
-                    pstmt.executeUpdate();
-                    pstmt.close();
+            for (String statementString : deleteGenericAssayStatements) {
+                pstmt = con.prepareStatement(statementString);
+                if (statementString.contains("?")) {
+                    pstmt.setInt(1, internalCancerStudyId);
                 }
+                pstmt.executeUpdate();
+                pstmt.close();
             }
         } catch (SQLException e) {
             throw new DaoException(e);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoGenericAssay.java b/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoGenericAssay.java
index b87385808ae..0a319d9d8cd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoGenericAssay.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/mskcc/cbio/portal/dao/DaoGenericAssay.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public static void deleteGenericEntityPropertiesByStableId(String stableId) thro
         }
     }
 
-    public static boolean shouldGenericAssayMetaBeDeleted(int cancerStudyId) throws DaoException {
+    public static boolean geneticEntitiesOnlyExistInSingleStudy(int cancerStudyId) throws DaoException {
         Connection con = null;
         PreparedStatement pstmt = null;
         ResultSet rs = null;
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ public static boolean shouldGenericAssayMetaBeDeleted(int cancerStudyId) throws
             while(rs.next()) {
                 studies.add(rs.getInt("CANCER_STUDY_ID"));
             }
+            // check if entities only exist in single study
             return studies.size() == 1;
         } catch (SQLException e) {
             e.printStackTrace();
@@ -110,4 +111,4 @@ public static boolean shouldGenericAssayMetaBeDeleted(int cancerStudyId) throws
         // do not update if there is an error
         return false;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}