IPCEF1 and metastatic malignant neoplasm in the lymph nodes: Notably, in the low IPCEF1 expression group, a significantly greater percentage of patients had advanced T stage (III-IV), lymph node metastases (N1), and higher TNM stages (III-IV) compared to early T stage (I-II), no lymph node metastases (N0), and lower TNM stages (I-II), respectively.