Consistent with previous studies, most of the DEGs (such as IGFBP3 [19], ITGB3 [21], ZEB1 [22], GJA1 [23], MMP14 [24], GLI2 [25], AREG [26], LCN2 [27], MACC1 [28], GALNT3 [29] and NCOA1 [30]) were involved in a wide spectrum of processes in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, such as the self-renewal of cancer stem cell, the invasion and metastasis. The gene discussed is AREG; the disease is cancer.