Tumor samples showed significant upregulation in the levels of MMP-9 (local cohort: (*p = 0.04); TCGA cohort: (***p < 0.0001) (Fig. 7B, D), while there was no difference in the levels of MMP-2 between tumor and adjacent normal tissue in local as well as TCGA cohort (Fig. 7A, C). This evidence concerns the gene MMP9 and neoplasm.