Exploring KRAS Expression Heterogeneity In Esophageal Carcinoma: Implications For Prognosis, Therapy, And Diagnosis

Abstract

Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) accounts for the seventh-highest global cancer mortality rate; the elevated mortality rates are attributed to treatment resistance and recurrence. This study aimed to analyze the molecular and clinical significance of the Kirsten rat sarcoma virus oncogene (KRAS) expression heterogeneity in ESCA. This bioinformatics investigation demonstrated KRAS overexpression in ESCA based on sample analysis and confirmed overexpression based upon various clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, the poor overall survival (OS) of ESCA patients is linked with this overexpression of KRAS. Next, KRAS was identified to be enriched with a number of pathways via gene enrichment analysis. Additionally, the correlation of KRAS expression and methylation level, immune cell infiltration, and genetic modification was examined. Overall, these evaluations demonstrated that KRAS is implicated in both the progression and development of esophageal cancer (ESCA). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that KRAS has potential in ESCA as a prognostic, therapeutic, and diagnostic biomarker.