The expression of TIM-3 is positively correlated with the survival of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and renal cell carcinoma.30,31 However, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database showed that the expression of TIM-3 is not associated with patient pathological tumour node metastasis (TNM) stage in HNSCC. The gene discussed is HAVCR2; the disease is pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.