Indeed, LAD1 has been associated with aggressive breast tumours,41COL17A1 is underexpressed in breast cancer and overexpressed in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, lung squamous cell carcinoma and lung adenocarcinoma42 and FERMT1 is a known mediator of epithelial–mesenchymal transition in colon cancer.43 This evidence concerns the gene FERMT1 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.