Yamashita K, et al. found that SPARC was immunolocalized intensely in carcinoma and stromal cells, whereas normal esophageal mucosa and submucosa did not express SPARC, and high expression of SPARC mRNA was closely related to lymph node metastasis and unfavorable survival in 48 EC patients 14. The gene discussed is SPARC; the disease is metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.