Author(s)

Lu Xu

Affiliation(s)

Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Affiliated Taizhou People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou School of Clinical Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Taizhou 225300, Jiangsu, China.

Corresponding Author

Lu Xu

ABSTRACT

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the most prevalent subtype of lung cancer, exhibiting high mortality rates globally. Identification of robust prognostic biomarkers is critical for early diagnosis, risk stratification, and the development of targeted therapies. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) have been implicated in tumor proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis. However, their expression patterns and prognostic significance in NSCLC remain incompletely characterized. In this study, we performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis using publicly available datasets, including The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Oncomine, and Human Protein Atlas (HPA). Differential expression, clinical correlation, survival, immune infiltration, functional enrichment, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) analyses were conducted. Our results demonstrated that HER2 and VEGFC were significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues compared to normal controls. Elevated expression of either gene was associated with advanced tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor overall survival. Co-expression analysis indicated a synergistic negative impact on prognosis. Functional enrichment suggested involvement of HER2 in PI3K-Akt signaling and cell proliferation, while VEGFC was associated with lymphangiogenesis and vascular development. Immune infiltration analysis revealed significant correlations with CD8+ T cells, regulatory T cells, and macrophage populations. These findings suggest that HER2 and VEGFC serve as prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in NSCLC, warranting further validation in clinical studies.

KEYWORDS

Non-small cell lung cancer; Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; Vascular endothelial growth factor C 

CITE THIS PAPER

Lu Xu. Expression and prognostic value of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC) in non-small cell lung cancer. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Medical Research. 2025, 7(3): 1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/jpmr3050.

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