The BIRC5 high-expression group had more male patients (P = 0.023) and smoked packs per year (P = 0.025), and TN adenocarcinoma patients in the BIRC5 high-expression group suffered from a significantly higher risk of distant metastasis (P = 0.046) and advanced N stage (P = 0.033). Here, BIRC5 is linked to adenocarcinoma.