Patients with early stages (I and II) and lymph node metastasis absent showed higher serum IGFBP‐3 levels than those of patients with advanced stages (III and IV) and lymph node metastasis present (4.78 [3.92, 5.49] vs 3.77 [2.65, 4.59] μg/mL, P = 0.04; (4.73 [3.92, 5.72] vs 4.11 [2.45, 4.83] μg/mL, P = 0.02), while no significant associations were found between CEA levels and clinical characteristics(2.2 [1.5, 6.2] vs 2.5 [1.8, 4.1] ng/mL, P = 0.931; 2.2 [1.5, 6.1] vs 3.0 [2.1, 6.3] ng/mL, P = 0.35). The gene discussed is IGFBP3; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.