Within a mean postoperative follow-up duration of 23 ± 16 months (2~74 months), 42 cancer-related deaths occurred: 12 in patients with VEGF-C negative tumors and 30 in the positive group (χ2 = 6.603, P = 0.010), 9 in patients with VEGFR-3 negative tumors and 33 in the positive group (χ2 = 5.850, P = 0.016), and 10 in patients with CNTN-1 negative tumors and 32 in the positive group (χ2 = 9.415, P = 0.002). The gene discussed is CNTN1; the disease is cancer.