Previous studies have revealed several abnormally expressed genes in NPC that could serve as reliable prognostic factors, like H3K27me3, ULK1, LOX, Talin-1 and PTP4A3 [8, 14–17], however, the existing molecular markers are substantially limited in identifying tumor spread and aiding risk assessment. The gene discussed is ULK1; the disease is nasopharyngeal carcinoma.