Interestingly, this analysis revealed that many genes driving this trajectory were within our pan-cancer 177 gene metastatic signature (Fig. 4F), including COL1A2, whose high expression is known to promote the tumour cell proliferation and metastasis in oesophageal cancer [48], highlighting the utility of our pan-cancer 177 gene signature in distinct cancer types. This evidence concerns the gene COL1A2 and neoplasm.