These results are consistent with a recent meta-analysis of 19 studies (including a total of 3663 NSCLC patients) showing that NOTCH1 expression (quantitated by either RT-PCR or IHC scoring) positively correlated with both lymph node metastasis and high TNM stages [39]. The gene discussed is NOTCH1; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.