OPN and BSPII belong to a family of glycoproteins that have been linked to cancer metastasis and progression and are overexpressed in a variety of cancers, including lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, papillary thyroid carcinoma, melanoma and pleural mesothelioma [41, 42]. Here, SPP1 is linked to differentiated thyroid carcinoma.