Using GEPIA 2.0 and bc-GenExMiner 4.5 to analyze TCGA databases, we found that the mRNA expression of the autophagy-related markers LC3B and Beclin-1 was positively correlated with E-cadherin expression in all breast cancer and TNBC patients (Additional file 2: Figure S2a, b). Here, CDH1 is linked to breast carcinoma.