Importantly, even though TIM-3 surface expression has been reported to indicate a functionally anergic state of CD8+ TILs, we found that TIM-3 expression on CD8+ TILs failed to associate with clinicopathological parameters in lung cancer, however the frequency of TIM-3 expression on CD4+ TILs did associate with lymph node metastasis and more advanced cancer stages. This evidence concerns the gene HAVCR2 and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.