The meta-analysis of all involved studies on lymph node metastasis showed a significantly higher incidence of FOXP3+ TILs in the lymph node positive group relative to the lymph node negative group (OR = 1.305, 95 % CI [1.071, 1.590], I2 = 60.0 %). Here, FOXP3 is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.