PDK4 and cancer: Moreover, the 18 significant DEGs indicated abundant expression levels in HOXD10, HMGA2, and THY1, whereas diminished expression was observed in PDK4, AMOT, and UBL3. According to F. Hakamy et al., the expression levels of HOXD10 in HNSCC vary with cancer stage, whereby higher levels are linked to enhanced cancer cell proliferation, while lower expression facilitates metastasis and invasion68.