At the same time, the rate of lymph-node metastases in patients with the CD45-EpCAM+CD44+CD24-N-cadherin- CTC subset was equal to 75% (3/4); in the absence of such a CTC subset, lymph-node metastases were developed in 14.3% (2/14) of patients (p = 0.044). Here, CD44 is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.