We found that the interaction of POSTN+ fibroblasts with SPP1+ macrophages, POSTN+ fibroblasts with tumor cells, and SPP1+ macrophages with tumor cells gradually increased from NT to Pre, E and A stages, which was also observed in separate analyses in P2, P10, and P13 (Supplementary Fig. 4a). This evidence concerns the gene SPP1 and neoplasm.