Elevated expression of ASCL2 is an independent prognostic indicator in lung squamous cell carcinoma

Aims ASCL2, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, is putatively involved in tumour progression. This study aimed to evaluate ASCL2 expression level in non-small-cell carcinoma (NSCLC) and assess its prognostic value for patients. Methods ASCL2 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC cohort) in 79 cases of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and 67 cases of adenocarcinoma (AC). Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of ASCL2. The same analyses were conducted in a cohort (n=790) from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) to validate the expression pattern and prognostic value of ASCL2. Results ASCL2 expression levels were significantly increased in SCC compared with normal lung tissue (p Conclusions Elevated expression of ASCL2 may identify an aggressive subgroup in SCC and serve as an independent prognostic indicator in these patients.