In Wei Zhang's study, miR-138-5p overexpression in gastric cancer cells inhibited the growth, proliferation, and migration and promoted apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by binding to the 3'-UTR of proto-oncogene DEK, while downregulation of miR-138-5p expression was closely associated with lymph node metastasis in gastric cancer patients [18]. This evidence concerns the gene DEK and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes.