Analyses of the relative mRNA expression levels of the eleven prevalent cell surface-associated PGs conducted on a total of 119 primary oral cavity HNSCC lesions revealed that 3 of the PGs, including NG2/CSPG4, GPC2 and GPC5, were de novo expressed in neoplastic cells, i.e. were not detectable in the healthy control tissues, but were detectable in cancer cells. The gene discussed is GPC5; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.