When we analysed the data only from patients at the early T stages (tumour size ⩽4 cm), our results showed that the incidence of cervical lymph node involvement was indeed higher in the nm23-Hl negative group (51.5%, 17 out of 33) than the nm23-Hl positive group (9.5%, two out of 21) and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.004). The gene discussed is NME1; the disease is neoplasm.