We then analyzed miR-16 and IKBKB expression and their possible associations with clinicopathological parameters, such as age, pathological classification, pathological grade, tumor size (T staging), lymph node metastasis (N staging), distant tumor metastasis (M staging) and clinical staging (Table 1). The gene discussed is IKBKB; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.