A total of 169 genes differentially expressed in positive versus negative lymph node metastases were firstly identified (Figure 1A); Among them, 58 genes were expressed in lung cancer PC‐9 cell line (Figure. S1); nine genes (BDH1, DCXR, DDX49, GTF2H5, HYLS1, ISYNA1, TAF8, BCDIN3D and MIA3) were associated with cell migration in lung cancer cell lines (Figure 1B),4 These nine genes were further analysed in TCGA data set of 188 samples with transcriptome sequencing results (Figure 1C,D,E). Here, TAF8 is linked to lung cancer.