Previous studies have shown that hypermethylation of the HIC1 promoter and overexpression of HIC1 protein occurs in thyroid cancer cells [22]; but this is the first report that HIC1 promoter methylation in papillary thyroid carcinomas correlates with lymph node metastasis, tumor stage, and patient age. The gene discussed is HIC1; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.