Cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A) is an oncoprotein promoting tumor progression via multiple pathways. Its prognostic significance in lung cancer remains unclear. We analyzed tumor samples from 53 patients with lung cancer undergoing curative surgical resection without prior chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Immunohistochemical staining and H-score quantification were performed to assess CIP2A and related protein expression. Patients were stratified based on CIP2A expression (cutoff value = 218.33). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis produced curves and log-rank tests. Correlations with clinicopathological and molecular markers were assessed. High CIP2A expression was significantly associated with poorer survival (log-rank, p = 0.0051). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that CIP2A expression was positively correlated with clusters of differentiation 31 (r = 0.420, p = 0.002), epithelial cadherin (r = 0.372, p = 0.006), and phosphorylated protein kinase B (r = 0.332, p = 0.015), and negatively correlated with phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (r = −0.474, p < 0.001), suggesting potential roles for CIP2A in promoting angiogenesis, sustaining epithelial traits, and suppressing metabolic regulation via AMPK signaling. CIP2A is a significant prognostic biomarker in lung cancer, contributing to tumor progression through modulation of angiogenesis and metabolic pathways. Exploration of its therapeutic potential and underlying mechanisms is warranted.
Lee et al. (Thu,) studied this question.