Among the NPC patients, the counts of those exhibiting positive protein expression were as follows: ATG1 (32 patients, 91.43%); ATG2A (0 patients, 0%); ATG2B (23 patients, 65.71%); ATG3 (30 patients, 85.71%); ATG4A (33 patients, 94.29%); ATG4B (20 patients, 57.14%); ATG4C (22 patients, 62.86%); ATG4D (2 patients, 5.71%); and ATG5 (35 patients, 100%). The gene discussed is ATG4A; the disease is nasopharyngeal carcinoma.