In addition, the analysis of the relationship between SPEN expression and the clinicopathological characteristics in patients with NPC revealed no statistically significant association between SPEN expression level and patient age and gender, although SPEN expression was positively correlated with the N (lymph node metastasis) stage (P < 0.001; N0-N1 vs. N2–N3), T (tumor size) stage (P = 0.021; T1–T2 vs. T3–T4) and clinical stage (P < 0.001; I–II vs. III–IV, Table 2). This evidence concerns the gene SPEN and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.