We have found that high expression of LOXL2 is associated with lymph node metastasis and a poor prognosis in ESCC and that LOXL2 induces cytoskeletal reorganization and ezrin phosphorylation, which subsequently promotes tumour cell invasion and metastasis in ESCC [13, 14]. The gene discussed is EZR; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.