However, no association with metastases has been observed (Mahomed et al, 2007), even though in another epithelial carcinoma, oesophageal SCC, Snail expression in the invasive tumour front seems to correlate with lymph node metastases, as well as with clinicopathological tumour stage (Usami et al, 2008). The gene discussed is SNAI1; the disease is neoplasm.