Considering the high frequent loss of MST1R had no obvious subtype and age preferences (Supplementary Fig. 5d, e), it was suggested that MST1R loss may act as an early event of NPC by increasing oncogenic susceptibility associated with EBV infection, although the action of MST1R in other types of cancers might be opposite. Here, MST1R is linked to Epstein-Barr virus infection.