KIT and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes: In the present study, a univariate analysis demonstrated the prognosis of the patients with a loss of the c-kit expression to be significantly worse than those with a positive c-kit expression, while a multivariate analysis demonstrated lymph node metastasis and a proliferative activity determined by MIB-1 counts, but not the c-kit expression, to be independently significant prognostic factors for DFS.