However, on the METABRIC patient cohort, high expression levels of both genes are significantly associated with reduced probability of relapse-free survival – the length of time a cancer patient survives without any signs or symptoms of cancer after the end of primary treatment – thus, confirming that NSMCE2 and MAL2 expression are linked to poor prognosis in breast cancer. This evidence concerns the gene NSMCE2 and breast carcinoma.