UNIST-LungCancer-INHA

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) often starts in tissue already changed by damage, but it’s unclear how this affects the disease. In this study, we looked at genetic and gene expression data from precancer, tumor, and normal tissue in 76 patients. We measured how many mutations were shared between the precancer and tumor samples (called PSM) and found that patients with more shared mutations tended to have worse survival. These high-PSM cases also showed early signs of genome instability, smoking-related DNA damage, and increased activity of genes like RRM2 and TIMMDC1 that are linked to cell growth. These genes were also more active in patients who didn’t have cancer recurrence. We also found big differences in gene activity and DNA changes between low- and high-PSM groups. This suggests that PSM could be a useful marker for predicting outcomes and understanding how LUSC develops.