EPCAM and neoplasm: MiR-494 correlated with tumor size (Pearson’s correlation; p = 0.007) as well as with AFP, PROM1, and ABCG2 expression (Pearson’s correlation; p = 0.015, p = 0.034, and p = 0.023, respectively) (Fig. 1e–g, Supplementary Fig.  S2D); on the contrary, no correlation with EPCAM mRNA was found.