Increased levels of SPARC were associated with lymph node metastasis in colorectal and oesophageal cancers, liver metastasis in colorectal cancer and bone metastasis in prostate cancers (Porte et al, 1995; Thomas et al, 2000; Yamashita et al, 2003). Here, SPARC is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.