As a negative prognostic factor for breast cancer patients, HIF can not only induce EMT and promote metastasis as well as drug resistance by regulating Zeb1, Zeb2, Snail and Twist (Kumar and Mehta, 2012), but also lead to increased glucose uptake, increased lactate production and decreased oxygen consumption by mitochondria (Kumar et al., 2014). This evidence concerns the gene TWIST1 and breast carcinoma.