Down-regulation of GAS5 correlated with poor recurrence-free survival (RFS) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HR = 2.40, 95%CI: 1.27–4.54, P = 0.007), and was associated with lymph node metastasis (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.44–2.57, P < 0.001), distant metastasis (OR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.05–6.97, P = 0.040), poor clinical stage (OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.18–0.38, P < 0.001), larger tumor size (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 2.08–4.95, P < 0.001), and poor tumor differentiation (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.40–2.80, P < 0.001). The gene discussed is GAS5; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.