The depth of tumour invasion and lymph node involvement were independent prognostic factors (hazard ratio (HR)=6.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32–33.4, P=0.022; HR=3.08, 95% CI 1.04–9.21, P=0.043, respectively), but cytoplasmic expression of p-mTOR was not independent (HR=1.42, 95% CI 0.51–3.97, P=0.51). Here, MTOR is linked to neoplasm.