Clinical Significance of SDC2 in Gastric Cancer: Insights From a Multi-Center Cohort Study

Objectives: Gastric Cancer (GC) poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating effective biomarkers for early detection and prognosis. This study investigates the relationship between SDC2 expression and GC patient outcomes. Methods: We analyzed SDC2 expression in GC and its association with patient outcomes using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. A pan-cancer analysis was performed to assess cross-tumor SDC2 expression patterns. Validation included immunohistochemistry and single-cell data analyses to confirm SDC2 expression in GC tissues and cell types, with findings supported by independent cohort studies. Results: Elevated SDC2 expression correlates with poor prognosis in GC patients, marked by lower survival rates, enhanced tumor microenvironment heterogeneity, decreased tumor mutational burden, and reduced immunotherapy efficacy. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses confirm that higher SDC2 expression is associated with shorter overall survival, establishing it as an independent prognostic risk factor. Pan-cancer analysis reveals consistent SDC2 expression patterns across multiple cancers, indicating broad clinical relevance. Validation through immunohistochemistry and single-cell data analysis confirms SDC2 expression in GC tissues and cell types. Independent cohort studies further support these findings. Conclusion: In summary, this study underscores the potential of SDC2 as a promising target for early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention in GC, with implications for other malignancies.