However, downregulation of PIWIL2 in tumors was significant when the tumors were stratified by lymph node metastasis, particularly in N0 tumors compared to normal and between N0 and N2 tumors, denoting correlation of PIWIL2 both with early transformation at N0 and with tumor aggressiveness at N2 (Fig. 2C). Here, PIWIL2 is linked to neoplasm.