Multivariate analyses indicated that FASN was an independent unfavorable prognostic factor for NPC patients after being adjusted for age, sex, and lymph node metastasis [hazard ratio (HR): 1.969, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.061–3.654; P = 0.032) (Supplementary Table S6), consistent with a previous report5. Here, FASN is linked to metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.