Our findings indicated heterogeneous expression of Twist2 in tumors may have a functional significance: the cytoplasmic Twist2 at tumor center and lymph metastases contributes to the maintenance of epithelial cancer characteristics with E-cadherin expression in a noninvasive state, while the nuclear Twist2 activates EMT transiently in the tumor invasion front to facilitate cancer cell invasion and metastasis. This evidence concerns the gene CDH1 and neoplasm.