Additionally, through integrating the dataset with primary and metastatic NPC (GSE103611), we identified 11 up-regulated DEGs (including oncogenes like SOX4, FNDC3B and JUP, and EMT regulatory factors like SNAI2) and 2 down-regulated DEGs (immune-related genes CR2 and LAT2) associated with distinct metastasis (Supplementary Table 2). Here, SOX4 is linked to nasopharyngeal carcinoma.