CD44 and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes: Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis, which included T classification, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, clinical stage, and the expression of Oct4, Sox2, Gli1, CD44, CD133, p-AKT and p-ERK showed that only TNM stage (p = 0.011) and CD44 expression (p = 0.011) were independent prognostic factors.