The results showed that the IL24 mRNA was highly expressed in HNSCC compared with noncancer tissues (SMD = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.24–1.70, Figure 6(a)), and there was no publication bias (Begg's test, P=0.176; Egger's test, P=0.201; Figures 6(b) and 6(c)). Here, IL24 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.