Among TSCC cases, the levels of HK2 were significantly higher in tumours of grade T3+4 than in those of grade T1+2, in tumours of grade CIII+IV than in those of grade CI+II, and in patients with lymph node metastasis than in those with no lymph node metastasis (Figure 1C and Supplementary Figure S1). Here, HK2 is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.